Round Robin
by LORDF Group
Summary: PG13 is for safety. It's a really weird fic by all of us in the LORDF group. It's a funky AU spinoff of the trilogy, with the appearance of two OCs. More to come.
1. Alasia

**Round Robin**

_(Author: Alasia)_

Of all the things in the world that Leila Morgan hated most in the world, modern science was the biggest one. She loved to read about the middle ages, just because of the times. The fighting and the food. The clothes and the way all women were treated with respect. Leila especially loved J.R.R. Tolkien's world of Middle-Earth. She loved how he twisted legends of the world she lived in into reality. Her copy of the Lord of the Ring (a three in one) was so beat up that the cover was falling off. She had a copy of The Hobbit, but she'd only read it once, believing it to be the longest prelude in history.   
But today was not a good day. The skies over Edinburgh, Scotland were coal gray, and rain pelted down on the streets like the sky was falling. Leila was soaking wet. Her school uniform in ruins and she ran down the street, her bag over her head. What she wouldn't give for a hot bath and some cocoa. But fate did not have this in store for her. No, it had something else in mind.   
She turned a corner and began to run down the alley, taking a short cut home that cut five minutes from the trip. She hated this route, but at the moment, she was desperate. The alley was dark and smelled foul, even with the rain. Puddles circled in mud were her path and she paid them no heed. This was a bad idea. She slipped and began to fall. Her bag went flying and she put her hands out to stop her from landing face first in the puddle beneath her. But she didn't land on rain soaked mud filled with garbage..... 


	2. Jennzah

**Round Robin**

_(Author: Jennzah)_

Day turned to night as she fell, with a splash, into a gross looking pond or lake. "Eww!" The water was black and slimy.   
She pulled herself out of the water, disgusted. The water smelled foul, and she shivered as she stood. Then a rock hit her in the face.   
"OW!" she yelled, rubbing the spot on her cheek where it had hit. Another rock flew past her nose, narrowly missing her again.   
"what the…" she cried. She squinted and saw that there were two children throwing rocks into the water.   
"Hey!" she yelled. "Stop that! You've hit me once already and it hurts!".   
The two children looked at her funny as she came closer. They looked at each other and started speaking in some language that only they probably knew how to speak.   
She stumbled over some sunken tree branches as she walked towards the shore, the water getting shallower. A man dressed in black came up to the two children.   
"Do not disturb the water!" he scolded. He looked into the lake and saw Leila, standing there, soaking wet, and feeling slimy.   
"Who goes there!" he called, drawing his sword out.   
Leila stopped walking forward at the sight of the sword. "What in the hell?" she thought. "Nobody carries swords.. What the hell happened? Did I hit my head?"   
"Hey!" she called back in her thick accent. "There's no need to pull out a sword! Where did you get that anyway!"   
She could see better now, the moon had sprung out and she saw that she was facing some great mountain. There were more than just the two children and the man sitting on the shore; in fact there were more children and what looked to be three other men and one young woman.   
The man who had pulled the sword at her resheathed it and walked to the shore to inspect. "Who are you, Lady!" he called.   
"Lady…" Leila thought. "I think I must have knocked myself out or something.. Maybe this is just a dream…oh well. Perhaps Ill just go along with it."   
"I'm Leila!" she called out. "I slipped and fell. Who are you?"   
Another man came down to inspect the new arrival. "Who is the lady?" he asked the man already standing on the shore.   
"I do not know." The other man replied.   
Leila was getting colder by the minute, and she thought she felt some fish swirling at her feet or something, and she did NOT like fish. She started to wade into the shore.   
When she finally reached the bank, the second of the two men came up to her. "What did you say your name was?"   
"Leila." She replied. He was tall, this man, and wore weird clothes, it looked like the old mail-shirts that the people in the middle ages wore.   
"Well, Leila, I am Boromir of Gondor. Where are you from? And what in the name of the king are you doing in such a place?"   
Leila just looked at him and started immediately to laugh. "Boromir? Oh lord, that's rich." Despite how cold she was, she fell to her knees in front of Boromir and held her stomach as she laughed.   
Boromir did not understand why the girl would laugh like that. "Lady, I don't see what is so funny."   
Leila looked up at him and snorted again with laughter. "Your name is Boromir? Like the Boromir in the Tolkien book?"   
Boromir looked indignant. "I know not of what book you speak. Please, stand up."   
Leila stood, her sides still shaking with laughter. She stopped laughing when the man who had drawn the sword came up to her.   
"Lady," he said. "These are dangerous waters. What are you doing in them?"   
Leila looked at him. "Who are you?" she asked.   
"Aragorn, son of Arathorn." He said.   
It was all Leila could do not to start laughing again. This was too much for her; she knew she must be dreaming. But it all seemed way too real. "I'll just play along, I guess." She thought again. "When I wake up im going to have a fun time trying to write all this down!" She looked over to the man who said he was Aragorn.   
"I'm Leila." She said. "Where in the hell are we?"   
Aragorn looked at her funny. "Do you not know where you are?"   
"Some really dark watery place, by a mountain?" Leila replied.   
"This is the entrance to the mines of Moria." Aragorn replied. "It is quite dangerous, and for a Lady to be here by herself is unthinkable."   
Leila was having way too much fun with this. "Moria." She said. She looked and saw that there was in fact, some sort of passageway that was closed, but illuminated with the moonlight. She saw the writing that looked a lot like the writing in her copy of Lord of the Rings.   
"Bleeding Hell!" she uttered under her breath. "It IS the gate to Moria"   
The guy claiming to be Boromir interrupted her thoughts. He'd taken her arm and was trying to lead her away from the waters edge.   
'Come, Lady. The water is not safe." He said, leading her gently away from it.   
"Yeah, no kidding," she said under her breath again. "If this dream involves Tolkien in anyway, something bad is in that water."   
He led her over to where a guy with a pointed hat and a long stick was trying to open the door she'd seen. He let her sit down on a rock across from him.   
"Gandalf!" she said loudly, so he looked up at her. The guy had to be Gandalf.   
"Yes?" he said. "Who may you be?" He peered at her. "Where did you come from?"   
"From the lake!" Boromir proclaimed as he sat down next to her." She came out of the lake!"   
Leila shook her head. This was too wild. She looked over to the shore again, where the two children had been throwing rocks at her. They were now staring at her. In fact, as she looked around, she saw that all the people around her were staring at her. Behind Gandalf, two people, a young blonde man with bright blue eyes, and a young woman, also blonde, with bright amber eyes stood. They were beautiful to look at.   
"Elves." Leila whispered. They could only be elves, because they had a sort of glow illuminating them, and they had no physical flaws that she could tell.   
Next to the elves were two more children. She looked at them, then to the two that had been throwing rocks. They weren't really children at all, she realized. They were hobbits.   
"Oh, sweet lord." Leila said. "Bloody hobbits!" she didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She wondered which one was Frodo. She scanned over them again, and the one with the bluest eyes she decided must be Frodo. She wondered if he had the One Ring on him too, if this was an accurate dream.   
After she'd checked out Gimli, whom she knew was a dwarf; she decided that one of the two elves must be Legolas. But she had no idea who the second elf was. There was no record of a girl elf, outside of Arwen, in the book. So maybe this was Arwen?   
"This dream just keeps getting more and more bizarre," she thought. "I hope that im not lying in a ditch somewhere."   
She spoke up. "So…" she said, looking at the girl elf. "Are you Arwen?"   
The girl elf stared back at her with her glittering eyes, and then looked over at Aragorn. He turned his head and listened intently.   
"Arwen?" the girl elf said to Leila in her soft voice.   
"Yeah. Is your name Arwen?" Leila looked at her. She always thought Arwen would look different. Arwen had dark hair, she thought.   
The girl elf looked at Legolas, then at Aragorn.   
"She asked you if your name was Arwen," Aragorn said to the girl-elf, in a language that Leila did not understand.   
The girl-elf looked astonished. "Why would she ask that?" she replied in the same tongue.   
Aragorn looked at Leila. "Why do you ask if she is Arwen?" he said to her, this time in a language she understood.   
"Well, she's an Elf, right?" Leila asked.   
"She is." Aragorn replied   
"Well then, is she Arwen? Cos I don't know of any other girl-elves except for Arwen."   
Aragorn looked dumbfounded. "Well, I do not understand that. But no, she is not Arwen."   
Leila was confused. The girl elf was standing there, clad in a blue dress, that binded to her body snugly. She was a small thing, and Legolas was taller than her. She had a quiver of arrows strapped to her back as well, as did Legolas. Maybe she was some warrior elf that Leila's imagination made up.   
"Well then, who is she?" Leila asked Aragorn.   
"Her name is Jairah, daughter of Sandros. From southern Mirkwood."   
Leila pondered that for a minute.   
"Wait a tick," she said. "Why is she here? Isn't this pretty dangerous for a girl-elf?"   
Jairah looked at Aragorn. "What does she say?" she said to him in Elvish.   
"She wants to know why you are here, she thinks it too dangerous for a girl-elf to be here." Aragorn replied.   
"Tell her I am here to protect Frodo, and my own personal affairs." Jairah told him, looking hard at Leila.   
"She says that she is here to protect the Ring-Bearer, and is also here for her own personal reasons." Aragorn said to Leila.   
"Personal reasons?" Leila asked. She looked at Jairah, who was still staring at her.   
Aragorn looked at Jairah again. "Yes. Personal affairs being that Legolas is her betrothed, and she was unwilling to stay behind in Rivendell, no matter how he pleaded."   
"Legolas is getting married?" Leila said incredulously. "No way!"   
Jairah looked at her, looking at her and Legolas in disbelief and edged closer to him, she did not trust the newly arrived girl. She was human, after all. Jairah did not trust many humans outside of Aragorn.   
"And who are you?" Jairah finally called over to Leila. "And what are you doing here?" She spoke in Elvish, so Leila did not understand her.   
"Why in the hell can't I understand you?" Leila said, looking back at Jairah. "Are you speaking Elvish?" She looked at Aragorn.   
Aragorn looked at her again. "Yes. It is Elvish. You do not speak it?"   
"No! Nobody does!" Leila said in frustration.   
Aragorn looked dumbfounded again.   
"You must come from a very strange place, indeed, Lady." Boromir said, breaking into the conversation. "I would much like to hear about it someday."   
"I bet you would." Leila said back to him. He was looking at her kinda funny. She stared back at him, noticing that he was really quite handsome.   
Gandalf broke into her thoughts when he stood up again and started mumbling something into the doors that were still tightly closed.   
"Hey!" Leila said. "You can't open that door?" She had suddenly realized that she knew how to do it, of course she did, she had read Lord of the Rings tons of times.   
Gandalf looked at her. "No. It is some form of riddle. We need to know the password."   
"Did you speak friend? That's what you do, you speak friend and enter." She said, smiling.   
Boromir looked at her funnily. "For someone who does not speak Elvish, you read it well enough."   
Leila was about to tell him that she didn't know how to read Elvish when she decided that it might not be a bad idea to keep it quiet, because he'd want to know how she knew that it said "Speak Friend and Enter". She turned back to Gandalf.   
"Say 'melon'" speaking the word like the fruit. In her thick Scottish accent it sounded nothing like the Elvish word.   
"Melon?" he asked.   
"Or.. uhm.. what's the Elvish word for friend? Melon, right? Maybe im not saying it right."   
Gandalf looked at her again, then spoke it : "may-lon" was how it sounded.   
The whole of the group looked at the doors as the opened, smoke billowing out of the crack where the doors separated. 


	3. Lyn

**Round Robin**

_(Author: Lyn)_

Leila backed away slowly, until she felt the acrid water of the lake lapping against her Sketchers. She knew what lay ahead in the tombs of Moria, and felt deathly afraid as she stared into the darkness that would soon consume her. A piercing scream awoke Leila from her deep thoughts, and she kicked herself realizing the play of events that took place before they crossed the thresh hold. Sure enough, looking over her shoulder she spied the rather small figure of Frodo swaying above their heads, his leg gripped by a long tentacle.   
"Quick, through these gates! Aragorn and Boromir, it would be wise of you to wield your swords," cried Gandalf, herding the elves, dwarves and hobbits into the vast cave. Leila saw Sam standing on the edge of the lake, screaming wildly at the sight of his master dangling in the air. Boromir and Aragorn slashed wildly away at the numerous tentacles, hacking their way to Frodo. Leila dove for Sam, remembering he was the next to be pulled in. She swiftly pushed him through the Moria gates, congratulating herself on quick thinking, when a slimy sensation seemed to be wrapping itself around Leila's ankle.   
She was hoisted through the air, and flung about like a rag doll, towards a seething froth swirling around the middle of the lake. Leila closed her eyes as a monster resembling a mutated octopus lowered her to his jaws, which were lined with rows upon rows of flesh eating teeth. "Please be a dream, please be a dream," she muttered. All had grown quiet, and Leila wondered if this is what it was like to be dead. She felt a soft thud and opened her large eyes, to find herself caught in the strong arms of Boromir. 


	4. Rhiana

**Round Robin**

_(Author: Rhiana)_

"Are you all right, Lady?" Boromir asked, clearly concerned for her safety. As Leila looked into his soft yet keen eyes she found her breath had left her body. Gasping as she found herself again, she managed to get something intelligible out. "You...you saved me..." she whispered softly.   
"Yes, and I would remind you to take care and stay close to me. I think not that you are familiar with these lands, and therefore should not venture off alone." He gently set her on her feet, caught off guard by her beautiful eyes and flawless skin. As he steadied her while she regained her balance, he wondered about this mysterious woman, having just appeared out of nowhere.   
"I thank you, Sir, for saving me," she said softly, her head down in embarrassment. How could she have been so stupid to let her guard down but for a moment! She KNEW how the book went, and if everything was as the book was supposed to read...   
She liked not the thought of standing up to the Balrog...   



	5. Sabrin

**Round Robin**

_(Author: Sabrin)_

Darkness filled every possible void in Moria, the only light coming from Gandalf's staff. The fellowship dared not to talk as it seemed that death hung in the air, coiling around every word uttered.   
Gandalf led followed by Gimli and the hobbits. Legolas and Jairah held one another's hand as the trailed behind the hobbits. Leila walked in front of Boromir, Aragorn making the last of the fellowship.   
"It's so dark," Leila commented, looking around the cavernous walls of stone, "It's spooky."   
"You have no need to fear m' lady," Boromir smiled, catching Leila's attention, "Gandalf will lead us safely."   
Leila nodded, and turned back to face Gandalf's light as Aragorn tapped Boromir on the shoulder.   
"You favor the young one?" Aragorn asked, a bit of a grin on his face.   
Boromir colored slightly, "Of course not. I just wanted to make sure she felt secure."   
"Ah," Aragorn nodded, "Secure." Aragorn retreated, still smiling slightly.   
"Beware of the hole in the center of the room," Gandalf warned as the company stepped into a rather large room, "We will rest here tonight."   
Leila shuddered, looking at the gaping hole. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and she looked up into the face of Boromir.   
"Here is a nice spot over here, Leila," Boromir said, "Careful of the hole, we would not want to lose you."   
"Especially you Boromir," Aragorn winked, making Leila blush slightly.   
"Thanks," Leila said quietly, taking the place Boromir saved for her. It was next to Jairah, who was asleep on Legolas's shoulder.   
A clank diverted everyone's attention to the middle of the room as a voice rang out, "Fool of a Took! Next time throw yourself in so that we may be rid of your foolishness!"   
"I just wanted to see how far down it went," Pippin said sheepishly.   
"For your foolishness, you can take the first watch," Gandalf scowled, "Who knows what may have been awoken."   
Leila stiffened the next part of the book coming to her head. Visions of orcs swam into her head, and she shuddered. But should she warn Gandalf? She sighed, settling down to sleep. She would sleep on it.   
"No! He is dead!" Gimli cried out, running to the grave.   
The group had started out many hours after Pippin took watch, and they had traveled for about a hour when Gimli had spotted a room with a beam of light, shining upon a stone coffin. Gimli now knelt by the coffin, not crying but mourning.   
"They are coming," Gandalf said, reading from an old record book, "They are coming, and we cannot get out."   
The room was silence as a faint drumming was heard. Frodo pulled out a sword to find it glowing blue.   
"I'm to late!" Leila cried in her mind, "The orcs are coming!"   
"Orcs!"" Leila cried out, "We must go Gandalf!"   
The fellowship looked at her, Jairah nodding in agreement. The drums got louder, the booms ringing in Leila's head.   
"Let them come! I must avenge Balin's death!" Gimli shouted, readying his ax.   
"No! We must go!" Leila shouted, "It's coming!"   
"What do you mean it?" Boromir asked.   
"The…" Leila was cut off by a shout from Aragorn.   
"We must barricade the door!"   
Legolas tossed Aragorn an ax, Jairah following his actions. Orcs started to ram the door as Boromir drew his sword.   
"Stay behind that chest," Boromir ordered, "I shall protect you."   
Leila nodded, and crouched behind the wooden chest as the orcs came through. Boromir swung valiantly at orcs, stopping many in their path.   
"I feel so helpless," Leila thought to herself, biting her lip as Boromir defended himself and her, "I must tell Gandalf about the balrog!"   
"Retreat!" Gandalf shouted, waving for the fellowship to follow him.   
Jairah shot one last arrow before following Legolas. Leila ran after Gandalf, finally catching up to the wizard.   
"Gandalf!" Leila called out, her voice strangled from running, "Gandalf!"   
The wizard turned to face her, "Quickly, what is it?"   
"B-Balrog," Leila wheezed, "C-Coming…"   
"A balrog?!" Gandalf gasped, "We must…"   
A roar cut him off, the roar bellowing from a hidden corridor and the fellowship gathered around the wizard.   
"Run!" Gandalf ordered, "Run for the bridge! It is a balrog!"   
The two elves's eyes widened at the name, and ran at their full speed. Steps lead the way to the bridge that would lead the company to the outdoors. The elves jumped down the stairs with grace, the hobbits barely able to keep up. Boromir, Aragorn, and Leila followed, Gandalf taking the rear. 


	6. Alasia

**Round Robin**

_(Author: Alasia)_

Leila had the sudden urge to close her eyes. She did not want to look back at the creature behind them, and she did not want to jump over that big hole in the stairs! As they ran down them, Leila came to a sudden realization, Gandalf would die fighting the Balrog, and she could do nothing.   
'Man," she thought idly, 'Knowing things like this will give you wrinkles…"   
The group came to a halt and Legolas jumped over the gap, followed closely by Jairah. Gandalf followed, being steadied by Legolas. She watched as Boromir wrapped his arms around Merry and Pippin and jumped across. She froze as Aragorn tossed Sam to Legolas. Could she do this? Did she really have the guts…. Her question was answered as an arrow flew past her. Yes! She did!!! She locked eyes with Boromir and jumped, eyes closed, praying that she'd be caught. She was, but not at first.   
An orc arrow flashed through the air and buried itself in her shoulder, coming out the back. She winced, trying not to scream as Boromir caught her in his arms. She looked up at him as he gazed down at her in concern, "Ow…"   
Soon they were moving again, making a fast getaway to the bridge of Kahzad-dum. Leila felt like passing out, but realizing that Boromir had to pull Frodo away would not keep her down. So, when Boromir crossed the bridge she looked up at him, "Put me down."   
"But-"   
"Now! I can get out, I have a feeling you'll be needed here," she told him as he set her down. She smiled up at him and clutched her arm to her, and then rounded the corner, following the elves and three Hobbits out of Moria. She reached the outside and took a deep breath of fresh air. Then she looked down at herself. Oh, did she look horrid. Her blue plaid skirt and pale blue button up with the crest of her school on it were torn and dirty, not to mention covered in her own blood. Her legs and arms were covered in scratches she hadn't known she'd received and her sketchers were destroyed.   
Her gaze moved to the far away woods of Lothlorien before being pulled out of her reverie by Boromir pulling a screaming Frodo from the depths of Moria. 'Oh my head,' she thought, 'I feel I must pass out now…'   
The ironic internal comment was followed shortly by her emerald eyes rolling back in their sockets, and her knees giving out. Boromir reached her in time to catch her and pull her into his arms. Aragorn turned back to the group and spoke, "Legolas, Gimli get them up."   
"Give them a moment for pity's sake," Boromir cried.   
"By nightfall these hills will be swarming with orcs," Aragorn snapped, "We must reach the woods of Lothlorien." 

Leila awoke feeling clean and strangely, the pain in her shoulder had been reduced to a mere throb. She opened her eyes and looked up at the ceiling… Wait! Ceiling?! Since when? Then she realized that they must have reached Lorien and she sighed. She sat up, taking the bedclothes with her when she realized that all she wore above her waist were bandages wrapped around her shoulder and chest. She looked around and ran a hand through her long, layered golden brown hair, sighing again.   
Her eyes landed on Boromir, who was fast asleep in the chair across from her bed. Or, so she thought. His eyes snapped open at the sound of her movement and he closed them to clear his mind. He looked up at her and took in a sharp breath, he really hadn't realized how beautiful she really was, and now that she was clean and dry her tanned skin glowed healthily and her brown hair framed her face. Her green eyes watched him carefully and he spoke, "You're awake."   
She nodded, "Where are we?"   
"We're in Lothlorien," he replied, standing.   
"Have you been in here since we got here," she asked curiously.   
"No, I was ordered a bath and change of clothes while they attended your wounds, then they let me in," he said, smiling at the double meaning in her words, "You've been unconscious for the better part of forty-eight hours."   
Her eyes widened, but he spoke again, "I'll wait outside while you get dressed."   
With that he left the room, closing the door softly behind him.   
Leila stood and wandered over to the emerald-silver dress on the chair. Her eyes widened at its simple elegance. The neck was a long oval, falling loosely off her shoulders. The sleeves were slightly long, and ended just below the middle of her hand, and she had a sneaky suspicion that it was made that way. The bodice clung to her frame and the skirt fell in a waterfall to the floor, brushing it slightly. She ran a comb through her hair and allowed the natural soft curls that always held the ends of her hair to make it look presentable. She slipped on matching slippers and moved to the door. Taking a deep breath and opening it.   
She stepped out of the room and Boromir's eyes widened. She smiled shyly, blushing at his scrutiny. He suddenly realized what he was doing and offered her his arm, saying, "Shall we milady? I'm sure the others would like to see you."   
She smiled up at him and took his arm, allowing him to lead her down the steps and across the grounds. As they walked she stared around her in awe of the beauty surrounding her. The trees were a golden canopy above them and green grass and spring flowers below their feet. She had always wanted to see Lothlorien, and now, she was seeing it with her own eyes, on the arm of a man she was growing rather fond of.   
This sudden realization struck her like a tree branch over the head. 

"Leila!"   
Leila smiled at Pippin's voice as he waved to her. When they neared the group of men she knelt down and gave the excited Hobbit a hug, wary of her injured shoulder. She stayed in her position as Merry and Sam hugged her and then Frodo, she stood and turned to the others.   
Aragorn had been wrong when he had called her young. For she was a full grown woman with the soft curves that were natural for her family - for those of Celtic heritage. She smiled at Jairah and Legolas before hugging the other female and then gave a quick embrace to the to the male elf. She turned to Aragorn and hugged him as well and then finally spoke, "I hope that none of you missed me all that much…" 


	7. Jennzah

**Round Robin**

_(Author: Jennzah)_

After the reunion, Leila was told that there would be a banquet for the Company, high up in the canopy of Lothlorien. She walked with Boromir to the canopy, and there the group sat and ate and rested. 

The hobbits were all devouring the food, happy to be eating, while Gimli drank from his goblet and laughed with them. Aragorn sat quietly at one end of the table, while the elves sat together, eating little but watching everyone with amusement on their faces. Their hearts, though still heavy about the loss of Gandalf, were a bit lighter. 

Leila had never been so hungry in her life. and there was so much good stuff to eat! She sat next to Boromir, and listened to him talk with Gimli about the olden days in Gondor. She found the stories interesting because she had never read them in any book. 

She looked over to where the elves were sitting, and noticed that while Legolas was now in discussion with Aragorn, Jairah was staring over at her, scanning her face. She didn't like the look that the girl-elf was giving her, so she looked away, tried to listen to Boromir again. Minutes later she looked back over at Jairah, and the elf's gaze was still fixed on her. This time Leila stared back. What in the hell did she think she was looking at? 

They sat there, staring at each other, until Legolas touched Jairah's arm and whispered something in her ear. Then Jairah retracted her gaze, and turned to Legolas and said something to him that Leila didn't understand. They both rose from their chairs and went out of the room, heading off into the trees. 

After the dinner, everyone seemed to go off their own separate ways. Gimli had asked Boromir to accompany him on a walk, perhaps so they could talk. Boromir threw an apologetic glance at Leila, then departed. 

Leila was following Pippin and Merry out of the hall, when she heard soft voices coming from below her. She looked down over the ledge of a spiraling staircase and saw the elves, Legolas and Jairah, their heads bent together, speaking rapidly to each other in that language that Leila did not understand. 

Jairah stopped talking suddenly, and looked up to see Leila standing over the ledge, looking at them. Legolas looked up also, then took Jairah's head in his hands, kissed her forehead, got up and walked away. 

Aragorn came up behind Leila and startled her. He apologized, then leaned over the ledge to and looked down at Jairah, who now was starting up the stairs towards Leila. 

"What is her problem?" Leila said under her breath. "What were they talking about?" she looked at Aragorn for help. 

"I cannot even say," he said to her. "They were speaking a language that is even unknown to me. It is that of their people, that of the Silver-Elves." 

Jairah reached the top of the staircase. She was wearing another blue dress, long and flowing like the one Leila wore, though she did not have the full figure of a human woman. 

"Aragorn," she said. "May I have a word with Leila alone, for a moment?" 

Leila was shocked that she could understand what Jairah was saying. 

Aragorn smiled and bowed his head to Jairah. "But of course." he said, smiling. "Goodnight, my Ladies." 

Leila watched as he descended the stairs behind Jairah, then looked at her, apprehensive. 

"Come," Jairah motioned to her. "Let us walk. It is such a lovely night." 

They began to walk, past the canopy, down some stairs, and into the forest. Leila shivered though the night was warm. There was a small breeze coming through the trees and some golden leaves were sprinkled into the air. 

It was in front of a sculpture of a woman, with long robes, that Jairah stopped and faced Leila. 

"This is a statue of the Lady Galadriel," she said. "The most wisest and powerful of my kind. This forest is her home." 

Leila stared at the statue for a moment, before speaking her mind to Jairah. She raised her hand. 

Jairah's eyes widened, and she moved her hand to the bodice of her dress. 

"How come I can understand you now?" Leila said to her, looking squarely at her. 

Jairah's eyes softened, and her hand dropped to her side. "The Lady Galadriel performed a spell on you so that you might be able to understand the Common Tongue. It is what we all use to communicate with one another, Elf to Man, Man to Dwarf, Dwarf to Hobbit, Hobbit to Elf, and so on. So now you may communicate freely with all of us, not just of your kind." Jairah stopped. 

Leila sat down on a rock, and Jairah followed suit. 

"So why did you want to talk to me?" Leila asked. 

Jairah smiled. "I like you well enough, Lady Leila." she said. "But i do not trust many of your kind. In fact, i do not trust but Aragorn fully. And ever since you came into our presence, you have baffled my mind, intrigued it." 

Leila said nothing for a moment. "What are you talking about?" 

Jairah continued. "We all have spoken about you, you know." she said. "We all find it quite odd that you know of everything that is about to happen to us, as if you have read it in some book. and i, well, i find it quite frightening. I wonder if you might not bring us all to destruction." 

Leila looked at her hard. She knew that what Jairah was saying was true. But how could she explain how she knew what was going to happen, that it was all some fairy tale? 

"I, i don't know what to say." Leila said. "I cannot tell you how i know of the future." 

Jairah sat for a moment, quiet. then she said. "Do you know what is to happen next?" 

Leila thought about that for a moment, then spoke. "No." she lied. She dared not tell Jairah of the scores of Orcs and the Uruk-Hai that awaited the company. 

Jairah was looking at her, like she did not believe what Leila had said. "I hope, for your sake, that you are telling me the truth. I hope for the sake of all of us. I am here to protect Frodo, and he is not safe if you are lying." 

Leila stared back at Jairah, tears had come into her eyes. She remembered that soon, Boromir was going to betray Frodo, that he was to come to his death. The feelings she had for him ate at the insides of her. 

Jairah's eyes had softened when she saw the tears coming onto Leila's cheeks. "Have you ever been in love, Leila?" 

Leila again was shocked at the question. "I think so," she answered, thinking of Boromir. "Why do you ask?" 

Jairah moved and knelt next to Leila, taking her hand. "I ask because I know the throes of it. It is what brought me here, on this journey. Legolas begged me to stay in Rivendell, behind. But I could not. I am here to protect him as much as I am to protect Frodo. I protect what is dear to me, because I have the ability, I have the mind." 

Jairah had taken Leila's hand and could now feel love inside her heart. 

"I ask because, if you do feel love, you will do what you can to protect it, and this mission, all you can. But you must have the strength, you must have the mind." 

Leila looked up at Jairah, who was still holding her hand, but had risen to her feet. She had turned her head towards the city again, and Leila could hear a soft voice calling Jairah's name. 

Jairah turned back to Leila, and released her hand. "I must go now." she smiled. She turned again and walked off towards the call of her lover. 

Leila sat on the rock for a long while, thinking about what Jairah said. Should she reveal what she knew to the Company? Should she tell them about the battles to come? 

Most of all, could she prevent the death of Boromir? She didn't know what to do, what to think.   



	8. Krissy

**Round Robin**

_(Author: Krissy)_

Leila leaned against the stiff trunk of a tree. Her heart ached, confused and painful. How could she stay in this world, knowing the pain and suffering her friends were going to encounter. What was she going to do? Her head spun with question and possibilities. She was so deep in thought she did not hear the hobbit come up to her. 

"Leila?" 

She looked up startled and saw Frodo standing next to her. "Hey. How are you holding up Frodo?" she asked moving over so he could sit next to her. 

"I miss her," he whispered, looking down at his fingers. 

"Miss who?" she asked, softly, wanting to know the girl who so obviously had is heart. 

"Gwen, she was my companion for the longest time. Gandalf left her with me to protect me, while he went off the find out about Bilbo's ring, well my ring. I just wish she was here with me now. She was my greatest comfort and now I feel lost without her." Frodo's eyes were sparkling with the appearance of tears. 

"I am sorry Frodo, I did not know. But where is she? I mean why is she not here?" 

"She," his voice caught and it took a few minutes before he could go on. "She was captured. She must have. She was scouting one night and never came back. Gandalf," his voice faltered again. "Said she was taken to Isengard. I do not think I will ever see her again, but I wish it more then anything." 

"I don't have your same problem, but I know the one I care about is not going to be around too much longer," Leila, said looking up at the stars. 

"Then you should spend as much time with him as you can. Do not take time for granted like I have, you will be sorry it you do," Frodo said getting up off the ground. "Go talk to Boromir, before you or he leaves." With that Frodo walked away. 

Leila watched him leave, while his words sank in. After a few moments she got up and ran, she ran for all she was worth to find Boromir. Somehow she knew her heart would find the right thing to do. 


	9. Alasia

**Round Robin**

_(Author: Alasia)_

Leila ran through the woods in search of Boromir, leaves fell around her like cherry blossoms and her cheeks held a rosey hue from running. She had been all over the elven city and had found no trace of him, then she had thought to look near the river Anduin. She came to a halt near the water and caught her breath and then looked around the shoreline. Sure enough, there he was, walking along the shoreline with his back to her. She stepped out so that she was in his line of sight, "Boromir!"   
His head shot up and he turned around, Leila ran toward him, and when she got near enough, threw herself into his arms. His arms wrapped around her in surprise and shock, her toes now barely touching the ground.   
He held her for a moment and then whispered, "Are you all right Leila?"   
She looked up at him, eyes shining, "I thought you'd left...."   
He smiled and brushed a hand over her cheek, "Never."   
"Promise me you'll never leave," she asked.   
Boromir's mind was shocked at what she was asking. Was she asking him to love her? He knew not, but spoke, "Until the sun refuses to rise I will be by your side."   
She beamed up at him and slid to the ground. She remained in his arms and rested her hands against his chest and looked up at him, smiling, the starlight reflected in her eyes. Boromir met her gaze and read the love within them and he leaned down, brushing his lips over hers. When he pulled away her eyes remained closed for a moment and then opened. She gazed up at him and smiled, he returned her smile and she laid her head on his shoulder, content to just stand there.   
He held her, a smile across his lips. They stood there by the river Anduin, the moon reflecting off the water, the picture of the perfect love, she in her silver-green elven dress the laid on the forest floor behind her, and he in his dark malachite elven tunic, his sword strapped to his side and his head resting on hers. 

Leila couldn't remember a time when she had ever been happier in her entire life. She had told Boromir that she loved him in the only way she knew how, and he returned those feelings. Yet, there was still one thing nagging at the back of her mind. How could she possibly stop Boromir from being killed? She knew that if he died that her heart would break, because she could not live without him. And she knew that if she could think of anything at all to save him, she would do it. Everyone in her world would have told her to let fate run its course, but she couldn't. She couldn't watch him die.   
The pair spent nearly every waking moment together during their stay in Lothlorien. Mainly because of the way Frodo had told her to make every moment count, and she tried. Boromir taught her how to use a sword, but she still preferred the staff, so Boromir made one for her. It was made of dark oak, polished to a gleam. When he gave it to her she had thrown herself into his arms, much to his embarrassment as the others looked on with amusement shining in their eyes. She in return had given him something she would have given no one else. This happened three days before they were to depart from Lothlorien.... 

Leila walked along the shore of the river Anduin in a malachite gown similar to the one she had worn when she awoke. She brushed her hand over some tall standing reeds, unaware of the rest of the world. Her lips held a slight smile as she watched the moonlight dance across the water, a slight breeze blowing through her hair. She did not hear anyone approaching, and was rather surprised when warm arms wrapped around her. She looked up into the smiling eyes of Boromir and a real smile blossomed on her face.   
They watched the water for a moment before she spoke, "I have something for you."   
He gazed down at her as she turned in her arms and she continued, "My mother gave it to me long ago. She said it would bring luck and courage. I want you to have it."   
She took off the silver eight pointed star with the emerald in the center that she always wore and stood on tip-toe to latch it around his neck, "It will bring you the same things as it has for me, and it will bring you my love."   
Boromir hugged her and they were silent for a moment until she spoke again, "I want you to be careful when we leave."   
Her request confused him, but he answered her anyway, "I promise...." 


	10. Rhiana

**Round Robin**

_(Author: Rhiana)_

_(The Next Day)_

Boromir wandered around, thinking heavily on what Leila had told him. Why would she want him to be careful? What did she mean? Did she know something that he did not? It shouldn't matter. He would do whatever it was that he had to do to keep the Ring, Frodo, and her all safe during their journey. He thought it would be a good idea if she were to stay in Lothlorien, but likely she would hear none of it.   
Still, he didn't like the idea of her being with them when they traveled outside the city. Orcs were abundant, and it would be very easy for her to be captured. And, he thought, Orcs so loved to torture, to have an escape and a vengeance for the pain and torture their kind was made to endure before they became Orcs, as they were now. He wondered what kind of Elves it would take to join with Sauron, and decided they must be the most evil and weak-minded, for all knew what Sauron was, and how terrible he could be. In a way, he supposed they had brought it on themselves.   
He found Aragorn standing at the edge of the river, staring into the water. Though there had been tension and disdain between them at first, he felt as though it was all right to stand beside the Great King. Though Boromir would die before he admitted it, he and Aragorn were brothers, in a way.   
"Leila knows something," Aragorn said, not raising his gaze from the beautiful flowing waters. "I do not know how she knows, but indeed she does." He looked up at Boromir finally, and asked him. "Has she spoken to you of anything?"   
Boromir nodded, knowing better than to lie. "She told me she has bad feelings about something that's going to happen after we leave this place. For me, the sooner we leave the better, but..."   
"Go on," Aragorn prompted when he stalled.   
"She told me to be careful. Made me promise. It was almost as though she feared for my life, as though she knew something bad was going to happen to me. Not the Fellowship, not you, not Frodo, not Legolas...but me." He stared down into the waters, and felt the tension within his soul begin to ease away. Then he felt as though Galadriel herself were watching him, and jerked his gaze away, almost painfully.   
"I fear she may be right. Something does not feel right about the air. I sense something evil, and nearby. We must be careful, for it could mean our lives." He looked at Boromir. "Frodo is the one that has been chosen for this. This task has been appointed to him by Fate, and we must aid him in its completion, or all of Middle-earth could be thrust into Shadow forever. That must not happen, Boromir. It must not," he said, and turned, walking along the path that led back to their quarters.   
Boromir stood next to the river still, his gaze roaming the trees, searching for the Elves he could not see, but knew were there. "But Leila, sweet....how do you know? And what do you fear for me?" he whispered, to no one but the wind and water. 


	11. Jennzah

**Round Robin**

_(Author - Jennzah)_

One of the elves that he could not see had heard him. He had been right to feel as if one were watching him, but it was not Galadriel. Jairah had heard what Boromir said, and now she knew that her earlier thoughts about Leila had been correct. One, that Leila did in fact know about what was going to happen in the coming days, and two, that Lelia and Boromir shared feelings for one another. 

Jairah sighed. She did not trust Boromir much, she had not since his rant at the Council in Rivendell, when he expressed his desire to use the Ring to restore the glory of Gondor. She thought him petty, though he had proved himself a bit trustworthy while they had been journeying through the Caradhras, and through the mines of Moria. 

She sighed again, and turned to where Legolas was taking some rest in the room they'd been given. She looked at him, laying motionless on the bed, and smiled. It was because of him that she'd come on this journey, because she couldn't bear anything bad happening to him, and because she knew she could protect him. 

She closed her eyes and remembered the day in Rivendell, the council, before any of this had happened. Before Gandalf was lost. 

She and Legolas had journeyed to Rivendell at the bidding of Legolas' father, King Thranduil. Orignally Legolas was supposed to journey alone, but when Jairah had found out he was going to Rivendell, she insisted on going. She plead with the King, that it would have been the wishes of her long dead father for her to go. Sandros had ruled over Southern Mirkwood before being struck down in battle unexpectedly when Jairah was younger. Instead of Jairah ruling Southern Mirkwood, she'd given it over to be ruled by Thranduil, who she believed to be a kind, trustworthy man. And he was. and Jairah had gone to live in Northern Mirkwood after that, to advise the King, because though she was young, she was the rightful heir to Southern Mirkwood. 

That was how she and Legolas had met. And oh, how they hated eachother. Jairah smiled with the recollection. She'd shot him once, with an arrow, in anger. They'd been much younger then. He'd been chiding her on her archery skills, and she told him that she could shoot his arm off if she wanted. He'd been calling her "Princess Jairah" which she hated, though it was her rightful title. Finally, she plucked an arrow out of her quiver and shot at him so fast he didnt see it coming, and it hit him right in the shoulder. Jairah chuckled as she remembered the look of utter astonishment on his face, he couldn't believe that she'd shot him. 

Jairah had felt guilty after that, and went and pulled the arrow out of his shoulder. After that they'd become friends, and not long after that, they'd become lovers. Their love was something so deep that it could not be penetrated by any arrow or tainted by any disease. They'd been betrothed for years. And in Rivendell, when Legolas announced that he would be going on this journey to destroy the Ring, Jairah had immediately spoken up that she would go too. Legolas had looked at her, fear in his eyes. He knew she would say such a thing, he knew her almost as well as he knew himself. But he had spent countless hours begging her not to go, to stay in Rivendell, and wait. But her will was too strong, and he knew he could not convince her otherwise. 

Jairah's thoughts shifted back to Boromir, who still stood by the water.. She was afraid that his lust to return glory to his people would eat away at him untill he was but a slave to his will, and would try to harm Frodo. 

So far, it had not. As Jairah thought about Boromir's thoughts of Leila, she hoped that these thoughts would keep him centered, focused on destroying the Ring. 

Jairah pushed all such thoughts out of her head for now. She and Legolas had retreated to their room for rest, for time alone, time that they had not had in very long. She curled up next to him, leaning her head on his chest, and listened to his heart beat in time with her own. 

****   
_(several hours later)_

Leila couldn't sleep. She kept shifting around restlessly in the bed that she lay in. Her thoughts ate at her. She had told Boromir to protect himself, that she had bad feelings of what was to come. But she knew he was to die. She turned and buried her head in a pillow and clawed at the bed. 

She didnt know what to do, as she turned over again and looked at the celing. Her thoughts raced, and then settled on the conversation she'd had with the elf-girl, Jairah, the previous night. 

_"I ask because, if you do feel love, you will do what you can to protect it, and this mission, all you can. But you must have the strength, you must have the mind." _ the words echoed in Leila's ears. 

Leila sighed.She knew she loved him, Boromir. But she did not know if she had the strength, or the mind. She knew what she knew and she hated that she knew it. She also felt that Jairah did not believe her when she said that she did not know what was to happen, in the days to come. She closed her eyes, and saw the image of Boromir, wielded with many arrows. Being shipped down the river Anduin in the boat, dead, his sword in his arms. Her necklace around his throat. She screamed. 

She bolted out of the bed. Forsaking the nap that she had tried to take, she ran down the stairs and ran smack into Merry and Pippin, who were munching on lembas with Gimli. She tripped over Merry, the small hobbit cried out in pain as Leila went sailing over him, kicking him in the nose accidentally as she did. She landed hard. 

Gimli tried to help her up, being the closest to her. She brushed him aside kindly, and spoke. 

"Where is Jairah?" she breathed. "I need to speak with her right now!" 

The hobbits looked at eachother. "We haven't seen her, not for many hours." Pippin said. "What is the matter? Why are you not with Boromir?" 

Leila ignored the question, and looked frantically at Gimli. "Do you know where Jairah is?" 

Gimli had an all knowing smile on his face. "I believe she and Master Legolas have taken rest alone for the afternoon, though i can hardly believe that they are resting much." he chuckled to himself. "And at such a time? the strange ways of the elves." 

Leila looked at him in agony. "I need to speak with Jairah, right away! It cannot wait. Where is their room?" 

Gimli's smile faded, when he heard the desperation in her voice. "Though i am not quite sure, it is up in a tree not far from here, i believe." he pointed towards the west, where a clutter of trees held oddly shaped rooms. 

Leila looked at him gratefully now, and took off in the direction he had indicated. When she reached the cluster of rooms, the only door closed was the one she chose. She knocked on it, frantic. 

"Jairah?? Are you in there? Wake up, please!" 

The door opened several seconds after Leila had rapped on it, and Jairah appeared. Her hair was tumbling down over her shoulders, released from it's normal restraints. It was also disarrayed, and Jairah struggled to rake it out of her eyes and push it behind one of her pointed ears. 

"What is it, Leila?" Jairah asked, with a small bit of concern in her voice. She seemed distracted, and only had the door opened the width of her small body. 

Leila took a step back from the door, in realization. "I did not mean to interrupt anything, its just..." she trailed off, cast her eyes down at the floor. She heard Legolas call from inside the room, in that tongue that she didn't understand, but she caught Jairah's name. Jairah stared at Leila a moment before turned her head into the room and replied in the same tongue, then opened the door wider so that she might go out. As she stepped out, Leila noticed that her dress was also in disarray, which was uncommon for Jairah as Leila knew her. She also did not carry her weapons. 

Jairah stepped out into the small hallway and closed the door behind her, a look of concern on her face now. 

"What is it, Leila?" she bade her to sit on a small bench below the window. She could feel the torment inside the girl, and she took her hand. 

"I'm sorry, i didn't mean to take away time from you and Legolas, i know you have so few moments together by yourselves." 

Jairah smiled. "While that is true, i feel that there is a more pressing matter here. Legolas will understand, as I do." 

Leila took a deep breath. "I lied to you. I lied when i said that i didn't know what will happen." 

Jairah's eyes darkened, and she removed her hand from Leila's. "I had thought perhaps so." she said slowly. She looked to the door of her room, then back to Leila. 

"But i also thought about what you said, about protecting what is dear to me, and this mission. And i am prepared to do that." Leila looked at Jairah, who was looking at her darkly. 

It was a moment before Jairah spoke. "Then you must tell me what you know. Everything you have seen. We cannot protect Frodo, or any of the others if you do not come forward with what you know." She stared at Leila, piercing her with her glittering amber eyes. 

Leila got up from the bench and started to pace. "I am afraid, Jairah. I dont know what i can do to stop whats coming..." 

Jairah sat quietly. "You must tell me what you know, Leila. Only then can we make the decisions on how to stop what is coming." 

Leila stopped pacing and stood in front of Jairah. "Boromir.... he is going to die. There will be a great battle, not far from here, after the Company has gone aways down the river Anduin. Saruman has a huge army of Orcs and Uruk-Hai prepared, he will release them soon." She looked at Jairah, whose eyes had grown huge with horror. 

"I know of the Orcs, but i have not heard ever the word 'Uruk-Hai'. What is that?" Jairah still sat on the bench, impossibly still. 

Leila closed her eyes. "Saruman created the species. It is half Orc, half Goblin." Jairah's eyes widened. "They can move in the day time, these creatures, they will find us. They will kill Boromir!" 

Jairah had risen to her feet as soon as Leila had spoken of the nature of the Uruk-Hai. She looked squarely at Leila, who had fear searing through her heart, for Boromir. Jairah felt it inside her. She stepped close to Leila. 

"Is this the truth, Leila. Because if it is not, I would advise you to take leave of me immediately." 

"No. it is the truth, i swear it. It will happen." Leila looked at Jairah helplessly. The elf turned and looked out the window. She felt Leila's pain for Boromir, for she loved him. Jairah looked again at her door. She too knew the feeling well. She turned back to Leila. 

"Boromir will not die, Leila. Not if you have the strength to prevent his death. I will help you." 

Leila looked at the girl-elf, who sat on the bench impossibly still. She wanted to hug her and thank her, but refrained. 

"What should we do now?" Leila asked. 

Jairah looked at her, then turned her head to her room. "Legolas!" she called, then turned to Leila. "Legolas and i must find Aragorn. You will have to come with us down the river." 

Legolas came out of the room, looking concerned. "What is it?" he asked Jairah, who sat with her eyes closed. 

She opened her eyes and smiled at him sadly, then stood up and walked quickly into the room, with Legolas and Leila following her. 

She picked up a quiver and tossed it lightly to Legolas, and armed herself with her silver dagger. 

"We must find Aragorn," she said to Legolas, then turned to Leila. "Go now, to Boromir. Spend the last few moments that you can with him, in peace. Do not tell him about his doom. We will not stay long in Lothlorien now." she said as she slung her quiver over her shoulder and picked up her bow, walked over to Legolas. She touched his hair gently as she handed him his bow with the other hand, then turned to Leila. "When there is danger, you must tell us. You cannot keep anything from us now, do you understand?" 

Leila nodded. Jairah gave her a look of recongnition then motioned her hand. "Go now. There is little time!" 

Leila turned and ran out of the room to find Boromir. The elves, on the other hand, looked at eachother in panic. 


	12. Alasia

**Round Robin**

_(Author: Alasia)_

Run she did. She ran to the banks if the Anduin, where Boromir walked, thinking She ran to him, his confusion for her haste apparent on his face. She didn't speak, just took his hand and walked with him.   
They walked through the Golden Wood, hand in hand. Leila realized suddenly how much time had passed and grinned to herself. She'd missed her nineteenth birthday. School would be out now, and she would be graduated. It was so ironic, she couldn't help but laugh at her forgetfulness. She leaned her head on Boromir's shoulder, a song intruding on her thoughts, and she began to sing the chorus softly, unaware of Boromir listening closely;   
"When you are with me   
I'm free... I'm careless... I believe   
Above all the others we'll fly   
This brings tears to my eyes..."   
She trailed off, thinking the last two words to herself, _"My sacrifice."_   
Why did those two words hit her so strongly? Was it because of what she'd left behind? There was nothing in her old world for except a dingy apartment and memories flooded with orphanages and foster homes. Then why? And suddenly she understood. She understood what Jairah had meant by saying that she'd do anything to protect Legolas. And she realized that since this was love, she knew she'd do the same for Boromir. These new thoughts plagued her already troubled mind, and she pushed them away, determined to enjoy her time with the man she loved. 

****** 

Jairah was not as lucky. She did not get to spend time alone with Legolas. Instead she had spent the last two hours searching the Golden Wood for Aragorn. _"Stubborn man." _she thought. _Damn his ability to disappear into thin air!" _A soft call to her right informed her that Legolas had found the subject of their search and she dashed through the underbrush, and came into the clearing where the two men waited for her.   
"What is this all about Jairah," Legolas said, voicing her question.   
"Do you remember when Leila and I talked a couple of nights ago?" She continued at their nods, "I asked her how she knew of the future, and she said she could not explain it. So I asked her if she knew what was going to happen, she said no... Two hours ago she came pounding on my door. She told me that she had lied when she told me she didn't know what was going to happen. Then she told me something that makes my heart ache for her...."   
Here she fell silent, and Aragorn prompted her to continue, "And?"   
"Boromir is going to die."   
The silence created by this statement was stifling as Aragorn and Legolas gaped at her. Jairah sat down on a large rock and rubbed her temples. After a moment she spoke again, "She said that an army of Uruk-hai - a crossbreed between goblins and orcs that walk in daylight - was going to attack. And that they would kill Boromir."   
"Did she say when?"   
Jairah looked up at Aragorn, "No. I told her to spend the remainder of our time here with him. Then we came seeking you."   
"I have may doubts about Boromir's ability to withstand the ring," Legolas said quietly, "But he has proved time and again that his heart is with the company."   
Aragorn nodded, "I pray that his love for Leila, and the love she returns to him will help him remain strong. I would that we try to save him, if not for our sake, then for Leila's - For she would surely die of a broken heart if he were killed."   
"I will speak with Leila about the time while we ride the river tomorrow, "Jairah said, "But now, let us create a plan." 

****** 

Their travel down the river was silent in the beginning, as they all felt the weight of the burden they carried on their shoulders. (The fate of the world is a lot to handle) At the front was Aragorn with Frodo, Sam and Pippin, then came Legolas with Jairah and Leila, then, last, was Boromir with Gimli and Merry. Every few minutes Leila's eyes would flicker over the western shore in fear of what was to come. Jairah sat in silence in front of Legolas, watching the other woman carefully.   
"Leila?"   
She turned, and Jairah continued, "We need to know when -"   
She was cut off as Leila held up a silencing hand, already knowing what the elf would say, and spoke, "Shortly after we make camp Boromir will go in search of firewood. Frodo will disappear and we will split up to look for him. That is when the Uruk-hai will attack. Boromir will fight with all he has to protect Merry and Pippin. It will take three arrows to make him fall... But he will fall nonetheless."   
The detailed description of what was to happen shocked Legolas to no end, for he had expected something more along the lines of 'sometime after dinner'. "How do you know this?" He questioned, "It seems almost as though you read all of this from a book."   
"I did...." 


	13. Jennzah

**Round Robin**

_(Author : Jennzah)_

Leila turned and looked at the shocked faces of the elves who were staring at her. "A book? You read of our account in some book?" Jairah asked quietly. 

"Yes." Leila said. "Where i come from, the story of Frodo and the Ring is a old tale. One of my favorites, in fact. I have read it many times. I knew of you all when i arrived here... Gimli, the Dwarf, Gandalf, Aragorn, and you, Legolas. I knew of you all, except for Jairah. I had never read of her, which is why, when we were in Moria, i asked if she was Arwen. I know even of Bilbo and his adventures with Gandalf and the Dragon." 

Legolas and Jairah sat silent, taking it in. Jairah went to speak, but then both of the elves turned their heads towards the western bank again. They both felt the impending presence of the Army of Saruman. 

"They are getting close," Legolas whispered to Jairah in their Sylvan tongue. She looked back at him, fear in her eyes, and nodded. "I have felt it," she replied, taking his arm. "But i also feel that there is more to what Leila knows, that she is holding back." 

Legolas nodded. "There is some turmoil in her heart, that i can feel. You must ask her again." Jairah nodded. 

"They cannot attack us while we are on the river," she continued, now in the Common Tongue. "We can stay our fate as long as we remain on the river." 

Leila looked at the elves, who were now scanning the western bank with their keen eyes, and closed her own eyes. She felt such guilt. 

"Leila," she heard Jairah say. Leila opened her eyes, and saw Jairah's gazed fixed on her. It was that same gaze that she'd given her back in Lothlorien, when Leila had revealed that she had lied. 

"Leila," Jairah said again. "I do not understand what you say about the book. But none of that matters now. I feel as though you are hiding something, something that you do not wish to speak for fear of your heart, of its ache. But you must, do you understand? You must. All our lives depend on you, at this very moment." 

Leila looked at Jairah in astonishment. How did she know? She had left out the part about Boromir trying to take the Ring from Frodo. She thought it unimportant, actually, she was more focused on keeping him alive. She closed her eyes. The elves knew, or atleast Jairah did. 

"What im going to say, you need not repeat to anyone else," Leila said finally. "It makes no difference to the attack, or the fate of Boromir. He will remain true to this company. But before the attack, while we are looking for Frodo, he will try to take the Ring from him. Frodo will protect himself accordingly." 

Jairah's eyes had widened. She knew she was right to feel uneasy about the Man. On the Caradhras, he'd picked up the Ring when Frodo had fallen and it had left his neck. Aragorn had to remind him to give it back to Frodo, one hand on his sword. But if what Leila said was true, then she need not worry. Frodo and the Ring would be safe. She had no reason not to believe Leila, because of the accuracy that she'd predicted everything. 

Legolas and Jairah exchanged another look. "We cannot tell the Company, she is right." Legolas said. "Only Aragorn knows of the Uruk-Hai, and if we were to tell him of Boromir's betrayal, however brief, it might complicate things later. We must stay the course of what Leila knows." 

Jairah agreed with him. "No one must know. We will keep our tongues." 

She turned to Leila. "When we go to look for Frodo, you must stay with me, and Legolas. You will be able to help us keep Boromir from perishing. I know that Boromir has taught you some skill with the sword," she said, reaching behind where Legolas was rowing the boat, and pulled out a sword. She held it up, looking at the blade before handing it to Leila. "This belonged to my father. It was one of three swords that he carried at various times. I carry the most prized of all the swords, which my father had named Lumenn Jairah, which in the Common Tongue means "the light of Jairah." because i was precious to my father, and he would wield this sword to protect me over any odds. This one i give to you, however, is the one he held when he fell." Jairah closed her eyes as Leila looked at the sword. Legolas placed a hand on her shoulder, and Jairah opened her eyes and smiled. "It will serve you well if you let it." 

Leila couldn't take her eyes off the silver blade, which was etched in the Elvish writing. "What of the third sword, Jairah?" she asked. She couldn't help it, she was curious. Jairah smiled sadly. "The third was laid to rest with my father, for it was named for my mother, who died many years ago, bringing me in to this world. I imagine he loved her greatly." She fell silent for a moment, looking at the boat that Aragorn was guiding to shore. They could stay on the river no more, as there were great falls ahead. 

Jairah looked at Legolas quickly. "It is time." She said. Legolas followed Aragorn as the Company made for the shore. Jairah and Legolas could feel footsteps coming nearer to them. 

As if on cue, Frodo vanished. Sam panicked and bade everyone to start looking for him. Leila watched in horror as Boromir left in search of firewood, she wanted to go with him but dared not. She trusted the elves judgment. 

She followed the elves and Gimli as they began their search for Frodo. She could hear it in her head, the talk that Boromir and Frodo were probably having at this moment, and Boromir trying to take the Ring from Frodo. It wouldn't be long now, and she held fast to the blade now at her side. 

Then she heard it. Footsteps, coming closer to them, the pounding of them coming faster than the beating of her heart. Jairah and Legolas stopped, looking off into the trees. For a moment, there was silence. Then a burst of Orcs came through the trees, screeching and bearing weapons. Gimli let out a yell and charged at them, wielding his axe and attacking. The elves started shooting as fast as they could. 

Leila couldn't believe what she saw, and for a moment stood stock still untill Legolas yelled at her, "Leila!" An Orc was coming up behind her, and she quickly turned, pulled the sword, and sliced its arm off. It screamed in pain and spat at her, and she stabbed it through the chest. It fell and she pulled her blade out of it, ready for more. She looked over at Jairah, who'd had pulled her sword as well and was fighting with all her might. Orc blood was flying through the air, and there was a smudge of it on Jairah's cheek as she cut the head off of an Orc. 

Suddenly, through the air came the call of a horn. "The Horn of Gondor!" cried Legolas. The Orcs were thinning, and Leila ran over to Jairah as she stabbed an Orc. "Jairah! Now! We must go now!" 

Jairah nodded and called to Legolas. "To the west!". They all took off running towards the call of the horn. 

Leila ran as fast as her legs would take her, though she was not as fast as the elves. She thought of Boromir, and the Uruk-Hai. "NO!" she screamed as she ran. 

The elves had skidded to a stop at the top of the hill. They could see down where the Uruk-Hai were, and where Boromir was fighting off scores of Orcs, with Merry and Pippin watching in fear. Legolas pulled his bow out and aimed at one of the huge monsters, and shot it in the back of the head. It fell, and some of the others turned in anger. 

"There are too many, " Legolas breathed. "I have never seen such things." 

"We must go down there!" Leila said. "The one with the handprint on his face will be the one to kill Boromir!" 

Jairah looked at Legolas. "We have enough arrows yet to kill most of them. Your aim is better than mine, here, take most of my arrows. Stay up here as long as you can, shoot them where they cannot see you. Leila, you and Gimli, come with me, we will go down and fight as many as we can. We will provide them a distraction from Boromir. " 

Legolas looked at Jairah in fear, and touched her face gently. "Go." he said. Jairah smiled, then looked at Leila and Gimli. "Now!" she said. 

They all jumped down the hill, and began their attack. Uruk-Hai began to fall left and right, thanks to the arrows of Legolas. Jairah pulled her bow out and crouched down and shot Orcs as they ran at her, but she had few arrows, and rose again and began to fight them with the sword. 

Boromir did not see Leila fighting the Orcs, he was busy combating his own Orcs. But as Leila finished with one, she looked up and saw the huge presence of the Uruk-Hai with the hand print on his face looming beyond Boromir. 

"NO!" she screamed, and took off running towards Boromir. He heard her cry. 

"Leila! What are you doing here? Get out of here!" he yelled, fighting and killing an Orc. 

Leila ignored him. She knew she must if she were to complete her task. She was running for the Uruk-Hai, who did not see her. She darted between the trees so he would not, so she could come up behind him. He was aiming an arrow at Boromir when she lunged and jumped on its back, knocking the arrow out of the bow. 

It roared, an awful roar such as she'd never heard before, and grabbed at her. She held fast to its disgusting head, it clawed at her with its hands, cutting her arms that held him fast around the neck. She screamed in pain, but held on. She kicked it with her feet when she could, but she had dropped her sword. It would do no good now, anyways. 

Boromir was trying to make his way to Leila, but Orcs kept getting in his way. Legolas had run out of arrows, and had jumped down the hill and was killing Orcs and the remaining Uruk-Hai as fast as he could. 

The Uruk-Hai that Leila held on to flipped her over his shoulder and she landed on the ground, hard. Her arms were bleeding from his nails, and he stood over her, growling, dripping onto her. She moved backwards, but he put one of his heavy feet on her chest, and reached for his bow that had fallen. 

Leila was pinned down, she couldn't move under the weight of the foot. She could do nothing but breathe heavily in fear as the huge thing pointed an arrow towards her. She closed her eyes. "I am going to die..." she thought. "I am going to die. But he will live." 

Boromir was running as fast as he could towards the Uruk-Hai that had Leila pinned down. It was aiming an arrow at her, ready to shoot her where she lay under its foot. Pain flashed through his heart as he ran, screaming, and brought his sword down. He cut off the arm that held the bow, and the monster screamed. Boromir gave it no thought as he stabbed the monster through the chest, pulled out his sword again, then slashed its head off. The body fell on the ground, next to where Leila lay, frightened. 

He pulled her up and into his arms, running away from the battle. The remaining troops were retreating, or being killed by the elves and Gimli. 

Leila sighed as she was being carried. Boromir was safe, she was safe. Things were going to be alright. She closed her eyes. Then a thought came in her head. 

"Merry! Pippin!" she screamed. She'd forgotten that they were to be taken captive, that was why the troops were receding. "Boromir!" she cried. "Stop!" 

He stopped, and she wrenched herself out of his arms. "The hobbits..." she said. "We must go back." 

"Leila, no! I cannot let you go back there, we cannot. It is too dangerous! We are safe here!" 

She shook her head, and kissed him gently. "You are safe, which would be all that matters to me. But Merry and Pippin, they are not. Those beasts have taken them!" 

Boromir held her closely, their foreheads touching. "We will find the rest of the Company and see how they fared. Then we will decide what to do." 

Leila looked into his eyes, and then took his hand. They got up and ran back to where the battle had been. 

All was quiet now, as they reached the site. They approached with some apprehension, and were startled by Gimli. 

"You! Come, quickly!" he said, and turned and ran on his stout legs. 

They followed him, down in to the valley a little where Aragorn and Legolas was crouched over Jairah, who was laying on the ground, breathing heavily. Legolas, was holding her hand and looking quite scared, and he kept shifting his eyes from Aragorn to Jairah. 

"She was harmed," Gimli said, pointing to Jairah's midsection, where sure enough, a long gash had sliced through her dress and made a shallow cut on her white stomach. 

"The cut is shallow," Boromir said. "She is an elf, she should be fine." 

Aragorn shook his head. "She was cut by an Orc blade." He touched the elf's hair gently, she looked at him, and could not speak. 

"I dont understand, why does that matter?" Boromir asked. Leila had taken hold of his arm. 

"Orc blades hold poison for elves, as do their arrows." Aragorn said grimly. "The poison will take several days to take her, we must cure her before then." 

Leila closed her eyes. She had changed the fate of Boromir, but now she'd endangered the life of Jairah. She had changed the course of the story. Could it be possible that the whole story could be changed now, that she did not know the outcome of every situation? 

Jairah had tears in her eyes as she looked from Leila to Boromir, and smiled despite herself. "So we succeeded." she whispered. "And this, this will be fine also. Leila knows what to do." 

Leila looked into the eyes of Legolas, who was looking at her, and her heart sank. For she did not know what to do. 


	14. Krissy

**Round Robin**

_(Author: Krissy)_

She sat, scared, shocked, and relieved. She felt guilty yet, she did not. Leila could bearly look into Legolas's eyes or look at Jairah. Was this her fault? Had she changed the fate of what was once the fellowship. She put her face in her hands. What was she to do now? Tears fell from her eyes, splashing onto the hard packed blood stained dirt. Frustration, entered her, then regret. Leila wished that she had never come, that she had stayed in her own world far away from this one. 

Boromir sat by her, "Leila, this is not your fault. You could have never known." He looked at her and noticed the tears on her face. "Do not cry." He wiped the tears from her eyes gently. 

She did not move, she could not. She felt guilt that the one she loved was here and was well not dieing. She remebered Frodo's words, "Do not take what you have for granted." She saw the pain in his eyes as he talked of his lost love. She never wanted that pain, but more she never wanted to cause it to anyone else. 

"Leila, please say something. Please, tell me you are ok," Boromir pleaded, cupping her face in his hands, making her look at him. 

She was lost in his eyes, his touch and love she felt for him and she saw reflected in his depths. "Boromir." That was all she could muster to say. He let go of her face and wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. Leila could not help herself, she melted into his embrace and started to cry, She began to cry tears for Legolas for Jairah, for Frodo, for the one he lost and she cried for herself. Boromir held her close stroking her hair gently. 

"Its okay, Leila. Its ok," that was the only thing that he could say to her. 

At that moment Gimili ran up to them," Argorn has thought of a way to heal Jairah." 

"We will be there in a few minutes, give us time," Boromir, replied never looking up at the drawf. 

Gimili backed out of the clearing as quietly as he came. "As long as I have you, Leila I can face anything I have to. I now know why Frodo took the ring and was so determined to destroy it. He will do anything for Gwen, for the one he loves more then life and happiness. She knew it too, thats why she saved him. Leila we can do anything together. I love you and you love me. I can face any storm any pain, any trouble with you by my side and simply knowing that you love me." 

Leila could bearly speak, "I love you too." 


	15. Lyn

**Round Robin**

_(Author: Lyn)_

"I love you too," Leila had said. 

She was lost to this man whose arms surrounded her, the world could fall to ashes and it wouldn't matter. They were together. Confused and anguished-but together. Troubled thoughts soon overcame Leila as she remembered the pressing matter at hand. She felt so selfish to be concerned with herself when anothers life was at stake-- at a fault of hers. The last of the tears trickled down her cheek and she reluctantly pulled herself from the warm embrace of Boromir.   
"You are right Leila, we must go see what is to become of Jairah…" 

They walked hastily towards the ring of trees surrounding the remaining fellowship. Leila gasped at the sight lain before their eyes. Jairah's bleeding had stopped a lengthy amount of time ago, yet the scarlet grass was newly stained. Legolas was knelt beside the wounded elf, speaking softly to her, even as her eyes were half closed in pain. The poison was spreading up from her stomach . There were millions of tiny scratches lining her throat, causing her to caugh blood at random times, and her wan skin was sickly pale. At the sound of Leila's gasp, Legolas turned from his crouched position and moved his eyes from the placid body of his love, to Leila's shocked expression. His sapphire orbs bore into her soul, and she nearly broke under the intense stare. A stare of accusation… 

"No…" she began. Didn't they know it wasn't her fault? She never asked to be thrown in the middle of a book, to be given the burden of deciding fates. Her eyes welled up yet again, she turned quickly to avoid awkward glances, as two heavy droplets splashed against her shoes. She pivoted and walked away through the dense wilderness, yet another moan from Jairah ringing through her ears, and the pleas of Boromir for her to come back. Yet he did not come after her. Leila felt more alone than ever, she was a danger to anyone and everyone, and she was more lost than all of them put together. She plodded wearily back to the river banks, and stepped in one of the elven canoes. She picked up a slender oar, and with swift movements as though she had been rowing for ages, set across the river. 

Not more than a yard off the river bank, she heard a small voice from behind her. 

"Excuse me, but where exactly are you taking me?"   
She turned around bewildered, to find a small hobbit in the seat behind her, twisting the golden ring off his finger. Leila opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted by a crash from the woods. 

"Master Frodo, where are you going! I bid you wait for me!" came Sam Gamgee's insistent cries. 


	16. Sabrin

**Round Robin**

_(Author: Sabrin)_

"Leila!" Boromir cried in desperation, watching as the golden-haired girl ran blindly through the trees. 

Yet he did not follow. A nagging presence in his held him back from his love. A moan of pain filled the cold air, and all attention was turned to Jariah. 

"Will she be alright?" Gimli asked, biting his lower lip in concern, "Will she…" 

"She will not die Master Dwarf," Legolas snapped, losing his temper for the first time, "She would not have been in this situation if it weren't for Leila." 

"Why do you say that?" Boromir raged, turning on the elf, "This was a random act of fate! It could have very well happened to you Legolas." 

"Did you not know of your original fate?" Legolas retorted, his voice growing cold and flat, "You were supposed to die Boromir; perish at the hand of an urkai-hai. You should have fallen with three arrows, yet you didn't. Jairah paid that price so that you, man of Gondor, could keep breathing!" 

Rage filled the peaceful blue eyes of the elf, and he glared accusingly at Boromir. Boromir's gaze did not waver, keeping the challenge in his eyes clear. 

"Stop this quarreling at once!" Aragorn scolded, looking at the two, "Son of Thranduil, have you no common sense? And Boromir, what would Gondor say of this?" 

"Lego…las…" 

The thin voice of Jairah broke the conversation, and Legolas became oblivious to everything except his love. 

"Do not talk my love," Legolas whispered soothingly, "I am here." 

"The girl… Leila…" Jairah struggled, heeding not Legolas's plead, "Do not blame her…my love. This was my own…decision…" 

Jairah moaned, blood seeping from reopened wounds and she settled into the comfort and strength of the elven prince. Legolas's shoulders hunched, his blonde hair draping around him like a veil. 

"We must return her to Lothlorien, or she will face certain death," Aragorn grimaced, looking sorrowfully at the two elves, "The choice is yours Legolas, Jairah. Which path will you brave? 

* * * * * 

Night fell, casting her fingers through the trees of Emyn Muil. Leila watched silently as the two hobbits ate no fire lit in fear of spies. Frodo looked blankly at the ground, memories of Gwen fresh on his mind. Sam looked worriedly at his master, not knowing what to do. Leila looked in the direction of the river, Legolas's eyes still seeming to bore into her. 

"Do you mean to come to Mordor Mistress Leila?" Sam finally asked, causing Leila and Frodo to look at the stout hobbit. 

"I guess so," Leila said uncertainly, "I do not care much at the moment though." 

"That, dear lady, is what will surely bring your death," a voice said from the shadows of a tree. 

The three companions immediately sprang up, Frodo and Sam's hands flying to their belts. 

"If I had wished to kill you I would have hours ago halfings," the voice drawled, hinted with amusement. 

A figure clad in grey garb of a soldier stepped from the trees, their long face sporting an amused smile. It was an elf, easily recognizable with the blonde hair and white skin. A bow and quiver jutted from the elf's back, yet they held a thick wooden pole. 

"Who are you?!" Sam demanded, stepping protectively in front of Frodo. 

"I am no foe," the stranger smiled, "Yet I am no friend for I do not know you." 

"You didn't answer the question," Leila pointed out, earning a sharp glare from the storm grey eyes of the elf, "You are an elf, right?" 

"Yes," the elf smiled, "And no." 

"You speak in riddles and avoid answers," Frodo observed thoughtfully, "Much like Gandalf, and Aragorn." 

"Mithrandir?" the elf cocked their head in surprise, "You know of him?" 

"He was a friend," Frodo said quietly. 

"He was friend of my people," the elf nodded in agreement, "Pray tell me, where is he?" 

Frodo turned his head away, tears bulging in his eyes. Sam looked at the ground in silence, leaving Leila to answer. 

"He fell in the Mines of Moria," Leila said, not bearing to look into the eyes of the elf. 

Th elf bowed their head in reverence, no emotion clear on their face, "He was a good man, kind at heart and strong at soul." 

"Any friend of Gandalf's is a friend of mine," Frodo said slowly, looking at the elf, "Do you care to join us for a late supper?" 

The elf smiled at the hobbit, "Your offer is kind, and I shall accept. You need not give up your supplies as I carry my own. My name is Siendar, son of Kular." 

"I am Frodo, son of Drogo," Frodo nodded, "This is Sam and Leila." 

Sam did not say anything, glancing suspiciously at the elf. Leila did not have the heart to say anything. 

"You are troubled," Siendar observed, "Darkness hangs like clouds in the sky. One is carrying an evil burden, one is dark at heart, and one is worried about another." 

Leila looked at the elf in surprise, "How did you know that?" 

"Consider it an elven gift," Siendar shrugged, "My race is sensitive to darkness and evil. Your eyes give clues too." 

Frodo smiled slightly, and offered the elf a stone to sit on. 

"What did you mean you are an elf, yet you are not an elf?" Sam asked, sitting behind Frodo. 

Siendar smiled, "My race are of elves, yet I am an outcast. I chose exhile over death." 

"What do you mean?" Frodo frowned, tiring of the riddles. 

"Long ago, when our race was just starting life, Mordor sent a spy to look in on our secret; the making of elvish blades. I do not know why he chose us, but I was the only one that recognized the spy. I tried to tell my queen, but she refused the notion that an elf would work for Mordor. 

During a feast, the smiths brought out the first of the elvish blades and was asked to explain how they were made. The spy would have gotten our secret, if it weren't for my arrow. 

I was given the choice of death or exile forever from a trial, for my people still did not believe the Mordor elf to be a spy. I chose exile, as I knew that I had done the right thing. They still don't believe me. Now I wander Middle-Earth, determined to take out Mordor one day, or watch that dark land fall." 

Siendar scowled, remembering some past event. He shook the scowl off and looked at the trio, "Now were would you three be going?" 

"To Mordor," Sam said, looking at Siendar, still not trusting him. 

"Mordor?" Siendar asked, jumping up, "I am coming with you." 

The three looked at the elf with strange look. 

"Are you sure?" Leila asked, "It will be hard and long." 

The elf only smiled, tracing his finger around a knife in his belt, "Believe me, it will be my pleasure." 


	17. Alasia

**Round Robin**

_(Author: Alasia)_

Leila stared off into the darkness, her heart screaming in pain and confusion. The Emyn Muil was black with dark and she somehow felt that it matched the feeling she had in her heart. A strange sense of foreboding had filled her not long after Siendar had appeared. What of Jairah? Would she live? Was it truly her selfishness that caused the female elf to become wounded? The answer to these questions would not come to her, she wasn't really sure if she wanted to know the answers.   
"Your heart crys for someone and yet you run from him."   
Her head snapped up and she watched as Siendar sat down next to her, "Aye. I do not know if what has happened is my fault or not... I changed the story. It's all my fault."   
"Story? You make no sense Lady Leila," Siendar said.   
She closed her eyes, "I cannot make sense of what I do not know. I can tell you though, that I am here by accident."   
"Accident?"   
"I don't belong in this world - Or in mine. I thought that I may have found a place where I could stay and love and be loved," she sighed, "But I have caused so much pain."   
Siendar remained silent fro a moment, then spoke, "What has happened is not your fault Leila Morgan of Scotland. You were brought to this world for a reason, how do you know if it was to save your beloved or something more? Jairah made the decision to help you. She knew that if she did she would be changing the course fo fate, and she helped you anyway. She could have just let Boromir, son of Denethor die, but she sensed the love you have for him, for it radiates from your very soul, and he returns those feelings, but is torn between the mission and how his heart longs for you."   
"How do you know this," she asked in surprise.   
"Ah, I am not ordinary," Siendar said, "Do you know how to use a sword, daughter of another world?"   
"Yes," she said, confused, "Boromir taught me how to use one. Why?"   
Siendar held a shape up in the darkness and placed it in her hands. It was a sword, a long thin sword, slightly like a katana, only double edged, "What-"   
"This sword os known as Hope in the common tounge. It is the only one of its kind and it will protect you well," the elf said.   
"I don't understand," she said.   
"Take your things and head for the Fangorn forest, track down the Ent called Treebeard. With him you will wait until you lover comes into Rohan, and then you will go to him," Seindar spoke, "Follow your heart Leila. Jairah will live, she is strong."   
"I do not know the way."   
The elf stood and handed her her pack, pulled her up and pushed her westward, "Go west until you exit the Emyn Muil, from there go west by north, do not stray your course. Follow the burnt path and it will lead you."   
"Burnt path?"   
"You will see," he answered and then pushed her in the right direction. 

***** 

This really sucked. Or, that's how Leila felt about all of this. She had been wlking through the Emyn Muil for three days, and she was positive she had veered off course at lest four different times. What she wouldn't give for a compass. For all she could see there was no 'burnt path'. There was nothing but bits of green over jagged rocks. She sighed as she reached the top of a hill and sat down on one of the less-sharp rocks and placed her head in a hand. Why had she followed Siendar's advice? Was it because he was an elf? Was it because he had known so much? She really didn't know.   
She looked up at the clear blue sky for a moment before turning back to the west. Her only notion of it being west was because the sun was setting. She sighed once more and scanned the landscape, her eyes brushing over blackened land and moving on. Wait! Blackened land? The burnt path! She had found it! She stood and grabbed her pack before charging down the hill to the wide strech of destroyed earth. She stoped and looked around at the decimation of the little bits of grass around her. This was not a narturally created path. This was Orc made.   



	18. Jennzah

**Round Robin**

_(author : Jennzah)_

As Leila stood staring at the path, the rest of the Company, including Boromir, were on their way towards Helms Deep. Jairah had refused to let them abandon Pippin and Merry, saying that she would be able to endure long enough. Legolas had pleaded with her, saying that she should go back to Lothlorien and get healed. She argued, saying that they had come from Lothlorien by boat, and would not be able to get back there in time. Her eyes were ever on the mission, and this pained Legolas greatly, for she had chosen death, it seemed. 

So far, the poison had only weakened her body, and kept her wounds from healing. She seemed in great pain, yet the warrior in her refused to quit. She walked on her own for the first day, after the wound had been bound up. Her skin was dark where the poison was running through her, and she still coughed blood from time to time, but she went ever onward. It was not till the second day that the poison hit her legs and she became unable to walk, that the Company stopped and Aragorn and Legolas debated over the fate of her again. 

"My friend, you know she will die, if she does not recieve the cure for such a poison. the only oft known place for this cure is Lothlorien, which you are now several days from. If we go forwards, we have no hope of such a cure. She will die." 

Legolas looked past Aragorn to where Jairah lay on the ground, watched over by Gimli. She had gone into some sort of temporary trancelike state, and she was mumbling to herself in Elvish. 

"My heart is sorely pained," Legolas said. "I know that she will die. I cannot tell you what this feels like, only that it seems like all the hope in the world has been drowned out, that my heart will cease to beat if hers does. She refuses to go to Lothlorien, she knows that we will not make it." 

"She has the heart and spirit of a true princess, Legolas. and a warrior at that. She fought bravely, she always has. It will sadden me to see her go." 

They looked again at her, still muttering to herself in Elvish. Gimli looked at her, then at them. "What is she saying?" he asked. 

Legolas furrowed his brow, he didn't think she was saying anything. But as he went back to her side, and took her hands in his, he listened to her speaking, and caught the word "Gandalf." 

"She is speaking about Gandalf!" he said. "She must be having a fever dream." He stroked her hair, and the Company settled in for the night. 

Sometime in the night, while Gimli was on watch, he looked up to the sky and saw something large flying overhead. They had hidden themselves fairly well, so he did not think that the flying thing, whether it just be a falcon or an instrument of the Dark Lord, could see them. He went to sleep as Aragorn took watch. 

Jairah opened her eyes, and heard her name being called, from the thick of the forest. Surprisingly, she would herself out of Legolas' arms and got to her unsteady feet. Sleepily, magickally, she was being called into the trees. She left so silently that Aragorn did not hear her. 

She was only half awake, the poison had started to take her mind. Soon she was floating over the ground, just the tips of her feet dragging. She could see light up ahead, bright, blinding light, and she was being pulled towards it. "Jairah...." it called again. 

She reached the light and she could see nothing but whiteness. She heard a voice, speaking to her in the common tongue, a familiar voice...... and then she lost all conciousness. 

****** 

When Legolas came to his senses, it was morning. Gimli had fallen asleep on watch, it seemed, but nothing foul seemed around. Except that when he looked next to him, Jairah was not there. He was on his feet in a second. 

"Gimli! Aragorn! Boromir!" he called frantically. They each awoke in turn, and looked at the elf as he circled their camp area in a panic. 

"Where is she? Did you see her leave? WHERE IS SHE?" Legolas turned round and looked at them. 

Aragorn sat sadly on the ground. "She is gone..." he said quietly. "She passed into the shadow realm, and she left.." he made a small gesture, kissing his hand and moving it in front of his face. 

Legolas could not speak, nor move. He closed his eyes and felt his heart shrink in his chest, but tears did not come. for some reason he did not believe that she was gone, he would not believe it. He could still hear her voice in his head, calling for him, during good times back at home. "Legolas....." she would call, and he would hear it in his mind. He could swear he heard it now. 

And then he did hear it. Everyone heard it. "Legolas..!" she called, from somewhere in the forest. They heard the hoofbeats of a horse and all of a sudden, a lovely white horse burst into the camp area, with Jairah on its back. It skidded to a stop, and she leapt from its back in a flurry of blonde hair. 

"My friends!" she said cheerily. "Good morning!" She stood next to the horse, and whispered to it in Elvish, and it took off back to the direction it came, very fast. 

Nobody spoke for a few seconds. Then Legolas rushed forward and caught Jairah up in his arms. 

"My love," he whispered, kissing her cheek. "I thought you had left me..." he embraced her tightly. She hugged him back and laughed merrily. He looked at her, tears coming into his eyes. She looked perfectly healthy, all the poison gone from her body. "But how?" he whispered. 

She leaned into him, and looked at him square in the eyes. "A friend of ours. He knew what to do. He knew that i could not even die without you, Legolas. He knew that my life is to go on for much longer than this. And he saw to it that i was healed." She kissed Legolas softly for a few seconds then broke away from him to address the rest of the Company, who stood in silence, gaping at her. 

"Don't look so shocked, my friends! For i have joyous news!" She walked around to each one in turn, kissing them on the cheek. 

Her eyes twinkled. "Gandalf the Wizard has returned!" She announced, as she went back to Legolas, and smiled at him. "Come! He is in Helms Deep. We are to go there." 

She took Legolas by the hand, and gave another look to the two men and the Dwarf, "Come, it is a long journey yet, without the lovely horse." 

They all gathered up their things and followed her. Questions burned in their minds, and they longed for answers. And they would recieve them, once they reached Helms Deep. 


	19. Krissy

**Round Robin**

_(Author: Krissy)_

Leila shivered, though it was not cold. Orc made. How was she ever to make it through this land alone. She touched the sword at her side, it gave her some assurance. She took a deep breath and walked forward, her eyes scaning everywhere, wanting to know what was coming before they knew she was there. She traveled for what seemed like hours down the endless path. Nothing moved, nothing stirred, not even the wind dared to make noise. Leila's heart pounded. She could feel something, there was something around. 

She stopped, looked around. She held her breathe, scared. She had never been this scared before. All the other times, Boromir had been there to protect her, and now, well that was in the past. After a few more minutes of looking around, Leila felt safe enough to move. She started walk again, a bit faster pace this time, then she heard it, a rustle in the dying ground. She did not stop this she kept going, breaking into a run, trying tog et away from whatever it was. SHe ran untill her legs could carry her no farther. 

Leila stopped, still scared but unable to run anymore. The next she knew, she was on the ground, a body was covering her. It reaked, it smelled of death and blood. Leila could bearly hold back the vile in her throat. Then she heard it, the low rumbling, the snarls, the groans, the moans, orcs. The body on top of her did not move, for the longest time, even after the orcs had gone. Finally the body moved and rolled off of Leila. She sat up coughing and trembling, scared, relieved and a million other things to. Leila looked up to see who her savoir was, it a was a woman. She no more then a foot taller then the hobbits. She looked elven, but human at the same time. She was thin, but dirty. Her hair, Leila would even guess the color because of all the dirt, but it was atleast waist length, but it had ben cut and torn in many places, leaving her with uneven strands. Her dress was green, stained with blood, dirt, and other things that she did not know. It was ripped and torn. The elf...human..held two swords, by her side. 

"Thank... Thank you for saving me," Leila said, struggling to get up. 

The woman turned to face her," Why are you here? No on takes this road, not a girl like you, not alone." 

"I wasn't alone for the longest time I was with Boromir and..." Leila suddenly realized her mistake, could she trust this stranger. She covered her mouth with her hands. 

The woman lept at her, pushed her to the ground and put the edge of her sword to Leila's neck. "Boromir you say. What have you to do with the fellowship. Where are they? Where is Boromir? Why have they strayed so far from their course?" 

The cold steel pressed closer to her neck," I... they..split...Frodo..he.." 

The woman pressed the sword even closer," What about Frodo, tell me know or so help me I will slit your throat. You do not throw the ringbearers name around." Her eyes narrowed, but you could she a deep caring for the one she spoke of, behind the clouds of anger. 

"He went with Sam to Mount Doom. The fellowship split, but he is safe," the words could not come out fast enough. 

The woman gave her one last look then stood up, putting her swords away, turning to look into the distance. 

Leila studdied her, rubbing her neck," Gwen, he is lost without you. You must return to him." 

The woman turned around," I can not return, for if I do then he will not detroy the ring, that is why I left him to begin with." 

Leila stood up," So you are Gwen. Wait, you left, Frodo said you were captured." 

"That is true and untrue all at once. I left, knowing he would not have the drive to destroy the ring on his own. I thought if he knew I had been captured or atleast thought it, he would destroy the ring. My faith in his love for me is great, greater then my faith in him was." A tear entered her eyes, rolling down her face, leaving a clean streak. "I was captured, not long after I left. I was taken to Isengard (sp?) and used to breed those monsters. Once they were done with me they dumped me into the woods, they thought I was too weak to do anything, but they were wrong. I found my way here, hoping to meet the fellowship and watch them from afar, guard, him from afar." 

Leila put a hand on Gwen's sholder," I too left the one I loved behind, but I am going foreward to meet him. Why don't you go to meet Frodo, he could not have gotten very far." 

"No I chose my path. Now it is set. I will see Frodo when everything is over with. My lack of faith in my love, has chosen my fate for me. Not if you insist on going down this path, you will need a guide, a friend, a protector, and I offer my two swords and my life to protect you. " 

Leila smiled," I would be honnored if you would go with me. It will be nice to have a friend to walk with, going alone is such a terrible thing." 

Gwen smiled," Back, yes it is a terrible thing." 


	20. Alasia

**Round Robin**

_(Author: Alasia)_

As Leila and Gwen set off in search of Treebeard, the rest of the Fellowship was moving to Helm's Deep, where a battle waited to take place. Tension filled the air as the followed Jairah, none of them knowing what to expect. Jairah had explained about her healing, and then all had fallen silent, leaving each of them to thier own thoughts. 

Jairah had told them that Merry and Pippin were safe, and they had no reason not to belive her, but it all seemed surreal somehow. Boromir walked mechanically in front of Aragorn, who could sense his distractedness. His thoughtd were not on what they were doing or where they were going, but on the one being that held his heart and soul in the palm of her hand. 

Was Leila alright? Was she hurt? Was she lying in a ditch somewhere dying? His worries were normal, and he had begun to regret not going after her. He did not no where she was, or the state of her well-being, and this upset him. Was she hurt that he did not go after her? So many questions filled his mind, and he could not answer them.'Leila,' he thought, 'Where are you? Do you know how much I miss you?' 

***** 

Leila's eyes filled with tears suddenly as she thought she heard Boromir's voice on the wind: 

'Leila... Where are you? Do you know how much I miss you?' 

It was almost as if he was thinking these words. She bowed her head silently, hoping the tears she cried would go unheeded by her new friend. Gwen walked in front of her, watching their surroundings closely.   
"Boromir..." It was a whisper, barely audible above the wind, but Gwen heard it. She looked back at her friend and saw the tears she cried, and she came confused as to why Leila cried these tears. She dropped back to walk next to the strange woman, "Are you all right?"   
Leila looked up, "Yes.. and no. I don't know... My heart cries, and yet I know where I must go."   
"You wish to see someone?"   
"Yes," Leila's voice was soft, "I miss him so much. I ran from them because I was scared. Legolas was looking at me like all of this was my fault, and I had begun to belive him, so I ran. Boromir called after me, but he didn't give chase, I know that he has a duty to the Fellowship... But it hurts."   
Gwen wrapped an arm around the other woman's shoulders, "It will all turn out right in the end. I know it. We just have to be strong."   
Leila smiled at her, "Thank you." 

Gwen's answer died in her throat as something stepped into the path before them. It was... And Ent? She stared openly at it and Leila's jaw hung open. The Ent grinned - well, as much as an Ent can, "I have heard the forest say you seek me. I an Treebeard."   
Leila's mouth opened and closed for a moment before she spoke, "I was sent to seek you out - Seindar said you could help me get back to the Fellowship..."   
Treebeard laughed, "Siendar? As, yes, the elf always did love to help people. We Ents are headed to Helm's deep to drop off two of your Hobbit friends before we go to Isengard. You are welcome to join us."   
"Thank you!!" 

***** 

The reuniting of Leila, Merry and Pippin was a happy one. The two Hobbits hugged her and she cried once more - only this time in happiness. THey walked together after reuniting with Gwen and the four talked, and caught up with the events that had passed since they had last seen each other. Gwen was filled in on the events of the Fellowship after her departure, and was sad to hear of Gandalf's fall, but she knew that Gandalf would appear, and she told them this, lifting their spirits even higher. 

The days came and went with each sunset and sunrise and soon, the four friends stood looking out over Helm's Deep. Were their friends down there? Could they get there in time to help in any way whatsoever? They did not know this, but moved down the slope carefully, for the hope they harbored kept them going. 


	21. Jennzah

**Round Robin**

_(Author : Jennzah)_

the elves, the dwarf, and the two men made their way ever closer to Helms Deep. They stopped for the night, and Aragorn thought they would reach their destination by the next afternoon. They all sat round the fire, quietly. It had been too quiet since Jairah had told them that they must go to Helms Deep. She was the only one, outside of Legolas, who was light of heart. 

Aragorn looked at the girl-elf in amazement. Just a day before she'd been on her deathbed, and now she was so full of life, it seemed that her skin glowed. But then again, he reminded himself, elves are made of different stuff than men are. He knew this well, for his own beloved was an Elf. He thought of Arwen, so far away in Rivendell, and fingered the necklace around his throat. He said a silent prayer in the hopes of evil dying out soon, that he might return to Rivendell and live happily. 

Boromir sat next to him, his mind toiling over Leila. He could not quell the thoughts he'd had before, he worried for her safety. Was she on her way to Mordor? He hoped that something had turned her back, anything. 

Gimli was sleeping. The elves had laughed at him, as he fell right asleep. His poor short legs had carried him far, and though he was stout and sturdy, he was still tired. 

As for the elves, they sat whispering to eachother in their language, their gazes locked on eachother. Legolas wanted to know about Gandalf, about what he had done to heal Jairah. He felt in his debt. 

"How did he know, Jairah? We all thought he'd fallen in Moria." He looked at her intently. 

"There is more to Gandalf, it seems, than we knew." She replied, smiling. "He did indeed fall at Moria. But the Balrog did not get him. He is stronger. He is immortal. How happy Frodo will be when he finds this out." 

Legolas reached out and played with a strand of Jairah's fair hair. "How did he know you were dying?" 

"I do not know." She said, the smile fading from her face. "Gandalf is a very powerful wizard. When i heard his voice calling to me, i was half dead, i believe. The poison had begun to take my mind. It was not me who lifted myself up off the ground, nor was it me who walked to the blinding light that i saw. It was Gandalf, guiding me. I believe that he had been following us, magically, ever since we left Lothlorien." 

"And how did he heal you? What did he do?" Legolas asked. 

"That I could not tell you, my love. When i came to myself, Gandalf was standing over me, smiling. And i was as shocked as anything to see him. And he told me not to ask questions. He told me that Merry and Pippin were alright, and were on their way to Helm's Deep, guided by an Ent. I do not know how they escaped the grasp of Saruman's army. He said for me to take the horse, and ride as fast as i could back to where the Fellowship was. And hence, lead you to Helms Deep. He is waiting for us there, i suppose. From there, i could not tell you the plan. Gandalf will advise us." 

She smiled at him again, and then they both were quiet. They could sense the fear and toil in the others. 

Meanwhile, over on the other side of Helms Deep, Merry and Pippin had just finished telling Leila about the Orcs. She shuddered. But all was well, they were fine and they were on their way to see Gandalf. 

She told them of Jairah, and how she was poisoned and dying when last she saw her, when she departed to go with Frodo and Sam over to Mordor. 

"But the Elf Siendar, he said she would live, because she is strong. But i do not know what to think. If they could not find a cure for the poison, she must surely be dead by now." Leila dropped her head in defeat. Her feelings of missing Boromir were also coming into the light as well. 

They were all silent for a moment, thinking of the warrior elf who'd fought so bravely, when Treebeard cut in. 

"No use crying over the fallen unless you know if they've fallen or not! Keep heart, she may well be alive!" 

So the hobbits, and Leila and Treebeard all took rest, waiting for the next day when they would reach Helm's Deep. 


	22. Sabrin

**Round Robin**

_ *By Sabrin*_

"Theirsss they aresss massster." 

Gollum crouched, his yellow lamp-like eyes flickering onto Frodo. The Dead Marshes stretched before the four, small lights flickering in the water. 

Frodo leaned on Sam, tired and pale. His right hand clutched at the chain holding the ring. 

Sam flashed a concerned look at Frodo, followed by a look of suspiciousness onto Gollum. 

Siendar stood quietly in the back of the three small hobbits, his gaze fixed on Gollum. It was obvious he didn't trust the creature more than Sam did. 

"This place reeks of darkness," Siendar snorted in disgust, "But if we must cross it, then that is what fate permits." 

Gollum looked blankly at Siendar, before leading the three into the marshes, "Do not looksss into the lightsss." 

The marshes were wet and muddy, the slime seeming to climb up the hobbits. Siendar carried Frodo, who was too tired to walk. Even the gracefully walk of the elf faltered in the marshes. 

Sam looked down to see many ghostly white faces staring up at him, each face glowing like a lantern. His gaze became transfixed, and if it weren't for Gollum, he would have been lost. 

"Do not looksss into the lightsss. They only seeksss to makesss yousss sink." 

Gollum's warning was followed through, and Sam did not look down again. To the company of four, the night was very long and seemed that it would never end. 

* * * * * 

On the plains of Rohan, Legolas and Jairah rode on Arod. Gandalf led the way on Shadowfax with Gimli and Boromir and Aragorn on his left side. 

King Theodain and his army ran in back of Gandalf, the King of course riding by Gandalf's right side. 

"I didn't think you would make it," Legolas admitted to Jairah as the company rode on. 

"Never give up hope my love," Jairah whispered back in with a smile, "Let us enjoy the time we have here, in each other's company." 

Legolas smiled, maybe the ride to Isengard wouldn't be so bad, 

* * * * * 

Water lapped at Leila and Gwen's feet as the last of the flood subsided. Treebeard was directing Quickbeam and his army of three to guard the northern part of the tower. 

Leila's brow furrowed as she examined the damage. Water filled the deep mines where orcs had once worked. Nothing was alive as far as she could see, except for Saruman and Wormtongue, high in the tower of Orthanac. 

"Pretty amazing, eh?" Merry's voice drifted from in back of Gwen and Leila. 

The two girls turned to smile at the two hobbits. 

"Serves them right,' Gwen said almost inaudibly. 

Leila registered that she meant the orcs, and she nodded in agreement, "Yeah." 

"Treebeard says he is expecting someone, a kin, and wants us to watch the gate," Pippin reported, "Said we could take turns if we wanted to." 

The four unanimously decided to stick together, and kept watch at the gate. Leila leaned against an overturned pillar, watching the stars with little interest. 

Where was Boromir? She missed the sound of his voice, the feel of his hands, the warmth of his body when he hugged her. He was the only thing she could think of now. 

Every since her arrival, she had felt that she was only a burden to the fellowship. Nothing she had done seemed to go right. Looking down at her belt and tattered cloak, Hope catching her eye. 

Unsheathing the blade, the moon came out from behind the clouds. Moon runes appeared on the blade, spelling out a message in elvish. Leila gazed fondly at the blade. 

Colors of the morning sunrise appeared over the horizon, the moon runes fading. Pippin and Merry came back with four bowls of entwash, which they handed out. Gwen was asleep, and Leila did not take the bowl. She wasn't hungry. 

Sighing, Leila looked over the plains, her sword falling to her side. Where ws Bormir? Was Frodo and Sam and Siendar all right? How about Jairah? Would she ever see them again? 

A sudden speck on the horizon alerted Leila to that spot. The speck moved closer, and soon revealed to be horses. 

"Horses!" Leila shouted, jumping up. 

Pippin and Merry looked up, Gwen muttering something and rolling over, still asleep. As the horses came closer, Leila rubbed her eyes. 

Gandalf was leading. With… 

Leila threw down her sword, running up to the man from Gondor. He saw her, stopped, and almost fell of his horse. 

"Boromir!" 


	23. Jennzah

**Round Robin**

_(author : jennzah)_

Jairah's keen eyes were surveying the gate to Isengard, and the lands beyond it. She had   
broken away from the group, away from the happy tidings. She had stayed only long enough   
to let Leila know she was alright, that she had not died. She hoped that Legolas would   
recount the tale of her healing. Her heart felt uneasy, and as she looked upon the land of   
Isengard, she knew why it felt that way. 

High up in a stray tree, she stood. Her eyes did not believe what she saw. From what she   
had heard, Isengard was a land rich with trees and life. But that wasn't what she saw.   
Instead, she saw that the land had been torn apart, great roots of great trees unearthed and   
ruined, and this made her heart sad. Isengard truly was an evil place now. Even the land was   
evil, barren, black. 

The rest of the group was aflutter with chatter, as they recounted their stories and talked of   
the next day, and spoke of Frodo, and Sam, and how they might be faring. Her ears pricked   
up as she heard voices beneath her, the voices of Leila and the small girl hobbit. She looked   
down and saw Gandalf, Leila, and Gwen standing below the tree. 

"Tell Legolas i am sorry," Gwen said, as she got on a horse and set off towards the east, at   
a fast pace. Jairah knew she was leaving, bound for Mordor, and closed her eyes and   
whispered a small prayer for the small hobbit. 

Jairah leapt from the tree, landing neatly next to Gandalf. "So she has decided to pursue   
Frodo?" Jairah asked, looking at Leila. 

Gandalf nodded. "She has the heart of a man, i tell you." he said. "Let us hope that her blind   
bravery will not see her to her end." 

Jairah at him and smiled. "Love makes people strong, Gandalf. I predict that it will be alright."   
She looked towards the Gate of Isengard again and her face lost the smile. "The land beyond   
those gates is dead. I have seen it." 

Gandalf nodded. "It belongs to the Dark Lord now, of course it is dead." 

"The Ent says that the Orcs that were working in the mines, were all drowned when a flood   
went through here," came the voice of Legolas, as he walked up next to where Jairah stood.   
"Where have you been, my love? I could feel your uneasiness, but i could not see you." 

Jairah pointed to the one scraggly tree, then turned to Gandalf again. "We still must be   
careful," she said. "When the sun goes down, there could be scores of Orcs beyond that   
gate yet. We cannot expect to just walk into Isengard without a battle ensuing." 

"I have not seen any living thing come out of the Gate, nor inside the gate." Leila said. "But   
you may be right." 

"Then we will proceed with caution," Gandalf said. "We will be prepared." 

Leila went back over to Boromir, and settled herself in his arms again. Jairah smiled again,   
despite her dark thoughts. It was good to see the girl back in the arms of her lover, and   
Jairah again felt some sort of pride for Leila. She had proven herself in battle, proven herself   
to everyone. Gone were the doubts that Jairah had had about the girl. Watching the two of   
them together, she felt it had been worth it, to have her own life nearly taken from her. 

Gandalf turned and walked back over to the fire, where they were still talking. Jairah was lost   
in her thoughts, as Legolas took her arm and led her back, as well. Jairah shook herself as   
she reached the fire, feeling its warmth, feeling Legolas' arm on her back. He gently pulled   
her down to sit next to him, and she suddenly found herself quite tired. She leaned into her   
lover and rested against his shoulder, and he put one arm around her and stroked her long   
hair, after depositing a kiss on the top of her head. 

Aragorn and Boromir were talking over on the other side of the fire, and Leila looked over at   
the girl-elf again, who sat nuzzled next to Legolas, her eyes hazy and dreamy. She realized   
that she had not heard the story of how Jairah had come to be well again. She still felt guilt,   
looking at her. 

"Aragorn," she said, interrupting the conversation between the two men. "How did Jairah   
come to be well again?" 

Aragorn looked at Leila, and shook his head slightly. "None of us is quite sure, not even   
Jairah herself, it seems. We know that Gandalf did it, and at the very final moments. She   
was going to die, she chose not to go back to Lothlorien, no matter how Legolas pleaded   
with her. At night she was half dead, her mind taken. The next morning, we woke to find her   
gone, we thought she'd died, passed over to the shadow realm. But then she came riding up,   
on Shadowfax, and she was perfectly cured. She was the first to see Gandalf. He knew that   
she was not supposed to die, apparently, that she has some part to play in all of this. what it   
is, i do not know. And that is how we came to be here." 

Leila looked over at Gandalf, who was sitting with the hobbits, a smile on his face. She was   
indeed glad to see him again, and she felt a sort of peace inside now, for the fact that she   
was sitting here with her beloved, because Gandalf, the one who was their leader, had   
returned, and because Jairah was well. Optimisim ran through her. 

She moved her hand to her side, and felt the sword that Jairah had given her. Now that she   
had the blade that Siendar had given her, she felt that she should return the heirloom to the   
elf. She broke away from Boromir again, and went over quietly to where the elves sat. 

Jairah's eyes looked glassy, and she was staring off into space, her eyes fixed on nothing in   
particular. "Jairah?" Leila said timidly, for the way the elf looked scared her. She knelt down   
on the other side of Jairah. 

Legolas turned his head to look at Leila, and smiled. "She is asleep," he said, looking down   
at Jairah. "She may not be able to hear you." 

Leila's eyes were wide. "So elves really do sleep with their eyes open," she whispered to   
herself, mostly. Legolas heard her though, and nodded slightly. 

Leila looked at him, and then drew the sword from her side. "I wanted to give this back to   
her," she said, handing the shining silver blade to Legolas, who took it in his free arm. "I was   
given another blade, by the elf Siendar, and i thought Jairah might want this back,   
considering it belonged to her father. I could not keep it." 

Legolas stared at the blade for a moment before putting it down. "She will be glad to have it   
back, though she gave it to you of her own free will. Thank you." he said. 

Leila nodded, and rose to her feet again, and turned to go back to Boromir, when she heard   
Legolas speak again. 

"Lady Leila?" he said. Leila turned around to look at him. He was smiling at her. 

"Yes?" she asked. 

"I wanted to apologise, for any guilt i might have placed on you, when Jairah got hurt. I know   
it wasn't your intention for any of what happen to happen, and i judged you far too harshly. So   
i apologise. My love for her is so strong that sometimes it takes over my reason. But you   
know something of that, dont you?" he motioned towards Boromir, who was still talking to   
Aragorn. 

Leila smiled and nodded. "Of course i do. I do not blame you for your actions. I would have   
done the same." she turned again and went back to Boromir. 

The conversation with the group seemed to turn back to Frodo and Sam, and how they were   
faring. "Yes, " thought Leila. "I wonder how the hobbits are doing out there in Mordor..."   



	24. Krissy

**Round Robin**

_(author krissy)_

Frodo sat, filthy and dirty. He was covered in mud, and dirt, and his heartached, like it had never ached before. "I can not remeber it anymore." 

Sam looked up," YOu can not remeber what?" 

"Bagend, I can not remeber. I can not remeber anything." Frodo closed his eyes, his fingers feeling inside his pockets," I can only remeber her eyes. If I am ever to see them again is what grieves me. Remebering them is both heaven and hell." 

Boromir jumped from his horse, not caring if it ran away and never returned. He ran to Leila and took her into his arms, holding her tight to him. Tears feel from Leila's eyes as well as Boromir's. 

"Leila do not ever do that again. I do not know what to do without you," he kissed the top of her head. 

She burried her face into his chest," I will never do it again I promise." 

Soon the other arrived and they built a fire sitting around talking. Gwen sat off to the side, staring at the fire, her heart to heavy to speak. 

"Gwen," Legolas said, looking at his friend. "What happened to you? We have all recounted our stories, yet you remain silent. Why is this? And why did you not go after Frodo? He needs you." 

Gwen looked at Legolas, her voice was low,"Everyone else has left me alone why have you decided to greive my soul again?" 

"Because you have always had reasons for doing things, good or bad reasons, we have yet to decide," Legolas, met her gaze evenly. 

She stood up her eyes glowing brighter then the flames of the fire," I love him, despite what you think. I will give my life for him if I must. I will do anything to save him and that requires me not being with him, for the moment. I do not care what you say, Legolas, I know my heart and I will not hurt Frodo, I can not hurt him." She turned away, tears streaming from her face," I cannot hurt him." Gwen picked up her things and moved away from the fire sitting by herself in the dirt. 

Gandalf got up and walked to her, the others watched as they spoke for a few minutes. Gwen got up gathering her things. Leila got up from Boromir's arms and walked to her," Where are you going?" 

"To find my love. Frodo and I have been apart too long," Gwen said, looking at Leila. She hugged her,"Thank you for what you have done. Tell the other goodbye for me, and tell Legolas that I am sorry." 

Leila smiled,"Of course. I hope you find him, quickly." 

"Thank you," Gwen lepted onto a horse. "Farewell Leila, I ask the earth that she may bless and protect you." She road away off into the dark night, toward Morodor and her love. 


	25. Krissy

**Round Robin**

_(author krissy)_

Gwen pulled her horse along behind her. It could bearly hold her pack. She had been chasing Frodo for a week, she had to be close, she could feel it in her heart. She was doing fairly well, but the horse was a different matter. It was dark, but she could still travel by night. She was too close to give up now, too close. In the dark she could just make out a fire. Gwen hurried her pace getting closer and closer. Her heart beat into her chest, as she pulled the horse behind her. 

Frodo looked at the fire, his heartaching. He wished he could just hold Gwen, just one more time. He ached to see her, to kiss her lips, to touch her hair. He missed her laugh, her smile, that stories she told him. He looked up off into the distance, hoping to see her, to see her face, her body, coming toward him in the distance. He started to look down, but something caught his eye. He looked up, and there was a girl, pulling a horse behind her. Frodo stood up, his heart beating faster then he ever thought possible, he could bearly breathe, this was the moment he had waited for, this moment had cost him much pain and tears.   
"Gwen," he wishpered, bearly able to talk.   
Sam looked up at Frodo," Master, please, she is.."   
"Gwen," Frodo shouted starting to run toward the figure in the distance.   
Siendar got up from the ground catching Frodo before he could leave the light of the fire.   
"Let me go. Its Gwen please do not keep me from her," Frodo struggled agnest the elf's grip.   
Sam came up and took Frodo holding him back, keeping him from his love.   
"You do not know if she is good, how she was captured or what they have done to her, we can not allow her to be here," Siendar said, watching the figure in the distance. The elf pulled out a bow and fitted it with and arrow and pointed at the direction of the girl.   
Gwen saw him, Frodo. Her heart lept, she began to run faster, dropping the reigns of the horse. "Frodo," she cried, as she heard his voice scream her name.   
"NO! You can not. Please, I love her," tears streamed from Frodo's eyes as he despratly tried to get out of Sam's grip.   
Sam could not look at his master, but he knew that this was right, he did not know what they had done to Gwen. He loved Gwen s dearly as Frodo, but he could not run any risks.   
Gwen came into the outskirts of the fire light and stopped. An elf held and arrow pointed in her direction, anbd Sam held Frodo from comign to her. "Frodo?" said asked, looking into his eyes, pained because of the tears she found.   
"Gwen," he started, but was interupted by Siendar.   
"You can not come any closer. You are not welcome here."   
Gwen looked at Frodo, scared and unsure," Why, what have I done? Sam? Sam, what's going on?"   
Sam turned away, not able to look her in the eyes.   
"You can not be trusted now leave! If you do not, I will force you too," Siendar pulled the string back farther, making his point.   
"Frodo, please, I... He is my love, I would never hurt him..I can not hurt him please. I have traveled far, faced much too see him please," she pleaded crying, sobbing.   
Frodo struggled angest Sam," Gwen! I love you. Please let me go." He did not understand, his heart longed to be with Gwen, nothing could stop him.   
Gwen took a step foreward, it seemed like time stopped to Frodo and froze in an instant, then moved faster then he could ever have believed possible. Siendar fired, the arrow hit Gwen right above her heart. she crumpled to the ground like a doll.   
"No!! Gwen!!" Frodo could bearly breathe, numb, crying and struggling. Sam looked in shock.   
Gwen did not move, shocked, hurt and pained, she could not move, all she could do was cry.   
Siendar picked up their things and put out the fire. Sam struggled with Frodo, who was too weak to resist any more. They left. Gwen lay on the ground, bleeding and crying.   
A few hours later, Siendar and Sam set up camp. Frodo was lieing in a ball, crying, his thoughts on Gwen. He was so close, it was not right it was not fair. The other two sat by the new fire talking quietly. Frodo looked at the ring about his neck. "Just the once, just for her." He slipped on the ring, and quietly got up, running blindly in the direction of his love.   
The horse was licking Gwen's face. She had long since passed out, finding solace in a dark dreamless sleep. Frodo stummbled, finally he saw the coals of what was once thier fire. He moved faster, taking the ring of his finger. He looked for her, praying she was not dead. Finally he found her. Gwen had somehow managed the strenght to pull the arrow out. She always had strength. Frodo ripped his shirt and wrapped her wound. He could feel her breath on his cheek. He held her in his lap, savoring the feel of her body again. "I love you," he wishpered. "I love you." He wiped her forehead and kissed it.   
Frodo layed her down, pulled her blanket off the horse. He layed next to her wrapping his arms around her and pulled her close, hoping to keep her warm. He interlaced his fingers with hers, feeling a worn ring on her ring finger. He smiled, she had not given up or lost it, she was still his she was still his wife. He kissed her forehead again. "I love you." He pulled the blanket over them, hoping to be hidden and fell asleep, happy to be with his love. 


	26. Rhiana

**Round Robin**

_(Author: Rhiana)_

Gwen walked in darkness, pain dogging her steps. So many questions raced through her mind…Why would Sam not help her or allow Frodo to come near? And who was that horrible Elf that had shot her? 

The memory brought renewed pain throughout her body, and she shivered. Why was this happening? All she wished to do was to find Frodo, to see her true love once again… 

And then, she realized with a start, that she already had. She felt his strong arms wrapped around her form, shielding her from the cold and the pain. His soft breath against her skin set her heart to pounding, and she forced herself up out of the darkness and into reality. 

With her consciousness came searing pain, and she gasped aloud, fighting back tears. Though she had managed to pull out the arrow herself, which had not been an easy task, blood flowed from the wound, albeit not so quickly as before. Frodo had ripped his shirt and wrapped her wound, which was likely the only reason she had not bled to death. 

Tears flowed freely from her eyes as she wrapped her arms around her love, and she sobbed, sobbed for what she thought she had lost, sobbed for him. She hoped she would live long enough to tell him she loved him, that the wound would not become infected. 

She had done nothing to deserve such a grave injury. She knew not who the strange Elf was with the angry, suspicious eyes, but she knew that he had no reason not to trust her. 

"Frodo, my love," she whispered softly, her throat rusty from the shock and trauma to her body. He jumped and came instantly awake. "Gwen! Oh, Gwen…Gwen, Gwen, Gwen…" He kissed her lips, claiming them over and over, afraid to believe that she was real, yet not wanting to let her go. 

"I thought you were dead for sure," he exclaimed, pulling her close. Remembering the ring, he quickly slipped it off his finger, and looked about anxiously. "Come, we must hide." As gently as he could, he lifted her, grimacing as she winced and bit her lip at the small jolt to her wound. Moving silently as he could he settled her down far enough away that even Siendar would have a hard time hearing. Likely, they would come searching for him soon, but he could just…No. He must not put the Ring on again. 

Brushing back a lock of hair from her face Frodo smiled at her, his large eyes brimming with tears. Gwen smiled back, and wrapped her arms about his neck, pulling him down to her. "Oh, Frodo, I love you so much…please don't let me go…" 

"But your wound," he cautioned, drawing back to look into her beautiful eyes. 

"Will be fine. I need to feel your arms around me. I've missed you!" she cried, pressing her face to the warm hollow of his neck. 

"And I you, angel," Frodo whispered back, kissing the top of her head, her temple. "And I you…" 


	27. Jennzah

**Round Robin**

_(author : jennzah)_

Sunset loomed on the horizon, its last warm rays spraying Jairah's face, rousing her out of her deep   
slumber. She'd dreamt of the hobbits, and the strange Elf Siendar. She was troubled by the thought of him,   
there was something suspicious about him. something she did not trust. 

She shook herself internally, allowing herself time to wake up fully. Legolas had allowed her to sleep for   
many hours, and she cursed herself secretly for it. She had not intended to fall asleep at all, but she had   
become so very tired. She pushed the thoughts of the hobbits and the strange elf out of her mind, she could   
do nothing for them, but hope. Mordor was leagues away, and she had to focus her thoughts here, on   
Isengard. 

She sat up straight, pulling away from Legolas as she did. He felt her move and looked over at her, and   
smiled. "maer aduial, melethril.." he whispered. She smiled back at him as he leaned down to kiss her, just   
a little small kiss. Then she stood up, pulling him up with her by his hands, and brushed herself off. 

She looked disgustedly at her dress, her hands. They were all dirty. The dress in fact was torn in spots,   
though she'd been able to makeshiftly fix the tear that had been put in the dress when she'd been slashed by   
the Orc blade. But even that had gaps in it, and her white Elf skin was showing through.She reached up to   
touch her hair, it was tangled and dirty. She sighed, and for a moment let herself think of times before all this   
mayhem. Her home in Mirkwood, their home. She missed it there, missed the green woods and the peace.   
She missed King Thranduil, who had become very much like her father. She missed clean clothes, and   
sleeping in her own bed with Legolas by her side. She missed whiling away the days just walking in the   
woods, or long hours encased, alone, in the arms of her lover. it had been ever so long since they'd been   
alone together, and.... 

She stopped thinking. She shook herself again. She had to keep focused, she had to. If she didnt keep   
focused on the matter at hand, she might never be alone with Legolas again. Isengard could win, Mordor   
could win. And she couldn't let that happen. 

She released Legolas' hand and walked over to Gandalf, who was talking with Aragorn. Legolas remained   
behind, talking to Gimli. 

"Gandalf," she said, as she walked up to him. "It is nearly sundown. What is our plan?" 

"We will go through the gates," he said. "Whatever comes out at us, we fight. We will seek out Saruman,   
destroy him if need be." 

Jairah looked past him where the tall Orthanc was looming over the Gates. She shuddered at the sight of it,   
and looked at Gandalf and Aragorn. 

"Right then," she said. "I will be ready at sundown." She turned away from them, and they continued talking.   
She headed off away from the Gate, running quickly towards the west. Leila was the only one who saw her   
as she ran. 

"Where is she going?" she wondered aloud, but nobody heard her. 

Jairah knew where she was going, and she quickened her pace as she ran. She had seen a small river   
running through here, on their way from Rohan, and she was bound for it. 

She reached the banks and stopped. The water ran clear, untouched by Orcs. She bent down and rested on   
her knees before the slowly running water, and leaned over it. Her reflection caught in the water, and she   
closed her eyes, saddened by what she saw. 

Her face was dirty, and despite her Elven nature, she looked tired. Her hair was in disarray, and for the first   
time, since she'd started out on this journey, her heart felt heavy and weary, and she wanted to quit. She   
hated the way she looked. But it was the price of being a warrior, she reminded herself, even as she sighed.   
It was the price she was willing to pay for her love. 

She dipped her hands into the cool water, and washed them off, untill her skin was clean, then splashed the   
water on her face, again and again, untill she was certain her face was clean. She knew that if battle was   
coming, she would not stay clean for long, but she was still a girl, she wasn't all warrior. She wanted to be   
clean, in some sort of order. She stood up from the bank and reached back, and released her hair from the   
restraints it was in, and shook it out, furiously, untill the dirt and had been shaken out, and she combed her   
fingers through it till there were no tangles, and it fell down her shoulders, and past the middle of her back. 

She looked down into the water again, and was happier with what she saw this time. The shadows of who   
she was before this all started stared back at her, and she smiled, in a bit of relief. Then she heard footsteps   
behind her, and her hand went immedately went to the dagger she carried, hidden on her side. 

As the footsteps made their way closer to her, she turned in a flash of long blonde hair and had the dagger at   
the throat of the assailant behind her in a instant. But the eyes that met hers were familiar, those crystal   
blue orbs that she knew so well. The one she held captive was her very own Legolas. 

His eyes twinkled at her. "Quick, you are, with that dagger my father gave you," he chuckled softly. He   
moved his hand up and placed it over the hand that held the dagger fast to his throat, and he closed his hand   
over hers. "But you dont want to kill me..." he said softly. 

Tears sprang into her eyes as he looked at her, and again she felt the toil pull on her heart. She pulled her   
hand away, and placed the dagger back at her side, and stood looking at him. Neither moved for a moment,   
and then he stepped up to her, and brushed a stray lock of her hair away from her face. She cast her eyes   
down, away from his piercing gaze, and felt ashamed once again for the toil in her heart. She was here for   
him, for the most part, and she had let herself be drawn away from it. Tears slipped down her nose and onto   
her love's hand as he stroked her cheek gently. 

"Why do you cry, Jairah?" he asked, though he knew the pain inside of her. She looked up at him, and she   
smiled through the tears, but did not speak, just closed her eyes, and tried to collect herself. She had to be   
strong, she told herself. 

no. his voice came into her head, winding its way between her ears. you dont have to be strong. and you   
dont have to hide from me, my love. i know the pain inside of you. it is inside of me as well. She looked up   
at him again, and he was peering at her, his eyes kind, and full of love. 

It was enough to make her burst into tears. He pulled her into his arms, and they embraced fiercely. "I   
know..." he whispered into her ear, as she cried. "I know you are tired. I know. It is alright.." he kissed the   
top of her head as she cowered in his arms, her body wracked with sobs. 

She pulled a little aways from him, his arms moving down to hold her around the small of her back. "No,   
Legolas," she hiccuped. "It is not alright. My heart... it wants to give up." Her pretty eyes were clouded with   
tears as she looked at him. 

He smiled a little and bent his forehead to hers. of course it does. he said to her in her head again. it has   
been a long, and perilous journey, and hard on the hearts of all who took it. every one of the Company has   
thought, at one time or another, of giving up. 

Jairah shook her head, though her forehead was still pressed to Legolas'. "Mine has not. Not untill this very   
day has it wanted to. Not untill today have i felt the full strain of this whole ordeal on my heart. Now, when   
the battle looms so close, does my heart want to give in to its selfish desire to give up." She closed her   
eyes, in shame. 

you do not have to be strong, Jairah. his voice repeated. you have been strong enough for so long. right now   
you do not have to be strong. tell me what is troubling you. his hands were on her ears as he spoke to her,   
softly touching her hair. her arms were on his shoulders, and words failed her as she fought to keep from   
crying again. 

i miss our home, she said to him, using her mind for the first time. i thought of it, the peace we had before   
all of this. i miss the time we used to spend together, alone, whether it be walking, in the wood, or it be in   
our room. i miss it, all of it. i am tired of fighting, tired of running. i saw my reflection in the water, and i hated   
it. i saw the warrior that i have become, and i hated what i saw. i am afraid that i am no longer the elf i used   
to be. No longer Jairah, the one you fell in love with, long ago, but Jairah, the fighter, the one who kills. Not   
the lover, just the fighter. i feel hard on the inside, Legolas, and i do not like it. I am afraid i will never be the   
same. 

she surprised even herself as the words were spoken in their minds. she was unaware of these fears she had   
inside. she shuddered again, and he rubbed her arms. 

"thats where you are wrong, my love," he whispered into her ear, as he kissed her cheek again. "That Jairah   
you will always be, the lover. Always." She looked up at him, her eyes wide, wet with tears. he smiled at   
her. "Yes," he said, as if she didnt believe him. "Because thats the part of you that belongs to me, and that   
part of you that i refuse to let go. so you see, you will always be that Jairah, no matter how long you fight.   
The warrior you are now, but the lover you always have been, and will be forever." 

Jairah didn't believe her ears. She had not heard him speak this way to her in a long time, not since before   
they'd come on this journey. There had been no time, so few moments. Her eyes teared up again, and she   
pressed herself to him once again, and he hugged her tightly. 

do you remember, Jairah, what we promised to eachother, so long ago? his voice rang through her brain. that   
night, in midsummer, when i asked you to be mine? what we swore over our own blood? 

her mind flashed back to that night, the woods, the stars. it had been over half a century ago, that night, she   
supposed. she had worn white, she recalled, and he had worn blue. his hair shining in the moonlight as they   
walked. she remembered feeling suspicious and excited, something had been looming in the air. and then   
he'd asked her, and it felt as though several fireworks had gone off in her heart. but it had been her idea, the   
blood, the promise. with her fathers silver dagger, she'd taken their hands and cut them open, and they'd   
grasped their palms together, letting their blood mix, and sworn to bind themselves to the other, to make the   
other happy, and to never let them lose heart. and above all, love eachother against all odds. 

yes. he said again. and i will not let you lose heart, nor give up. because i love you, Jairah. the blood bound   
us together, we have been wed since that night, many years ago. 

Jairah nodded, she knew. Thats why there had been no talk of a ceremony for them, ever. They didnt need   
one. And now with this recollection, and realization, she felt her heart grow light again. She drew away from   
him, and put a hand on his face. 

"Your love makes me strong," she said. " And my love for you fuels me. I would fight for that. It is what i have   
been fighting for, through all of this. so that our love could go on." Her tears had stopped now, and she   
leaned in and kissed him, on the lips, gently, and for a long moment. 

Then she broke away, and went to pick up her quiver from the side of the river. "We have faced nearly   
everything on this trip, even the possiblity of my death, and being seperated. We can endure this, I can   
endure it. And we will come out victorious," she said, as she slung the quiver onto her back. She looked up   
at the sky, and the sun was close to being all the way down, the night starting to prick through. 

Quickly she started to pull her hair up and out of her face, securing the front of it behind her head, twisting it   
every which way, untill she had it back. Legolas watched her admiringly. When she was finished, she picked   
up her bow from the ground next to her and took his hand. "The sun has nearly set. We will be crossing the   
gates very soon. Come!" 

She grasped his hand and they took off running back towards the gates of Isengard. Fast they ran, for the   
sun was trying to beat them, her dying embers fading as they ran. Before they reached the Company,   
however, Legolas stopped her, and took both her hands in his, a serious look on his face. 

"What is it?" Jairah asked, looking to the gates, seeing their friends readying themselves for the possiblity of   
battle. 

"I want you to be careful, Jairah." Legolas said, looking at her with his words. "I do not think i could bear it if   
something happened to you, in fact i know i could not. The last time, when i thought i lost you for those few   
moments, i thought i would go mad. Please, use caution. Do not get hurt. I know you are capable, but   
please. Just be careful." He looked at her pleadingly. 

She smiled, and leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. "Of course." she said. "But the same to you.   
Now, lets go!" They ran again untill they were next to Gandalf and Aragorn, who were staring grimly at the   
gate. They did not seem surprised to see the elves just appear at their sides. 

"It is time," Gandalf announced, and all gathered around the gates door. Boromir and Leila stood next to   
eachother, with Pippin, Merry, and Gimli lined up next to them. 

"We will go through the gates," Gandalf said. "Do not rule out the possiblity of Orcs beyond the wall, hold   
fast to your weapons. Saruman could very well send something we are not expecting. I will make my way to   
the Orthanc. If battle ensues, do not worry about me. My only target is Saruman, and the Orthanc. Fight as   
many as you can. If i do not return after the battle is over, return to Fangorn, to Treebeard. I will meet you   
there!" 

Leila exchanged a scared look with the hobbits, then looked at Boromir, who gave her an encouraging look   
and kissed the top of her head. She fingered the blade at her side, and felt a bit comforted by it. Then she   
watched as Gandalf started towards the door of the Gate, and pushed at it with his staff. "By the Order of   
Gandalf, wielder of the Ancient Fire, i command you to open!" he bellowed, and the gates opened, creaking   
and hissing as they did. 

Nothing lay beyond the gates, as far as they could tell. Gandalf stepped over the threshold, and beckoned for   
the rest to follow. They did, warily, not trusting the ground they walked on. It was black, and even more evil   
-looking now that the moon shined down on them, illuminating the holes in the ground, the demise. 

They had gone about fifty feet from the gates when an arrow sailed past Jairah's ear and sunk itself into the   
ground. She pulled her bow immedately, and aimed an arrow at the direction it had come from, when another   
sailed past her from the opposite direction. Legolas pulled his bow out as well, and they stood, side by side,   
an arrow aimed in either direction, and when Jairah saw something move, she shot and hit it in the face. The   
orc fell screeching out of a battlement, down into one of the deep trenches that was dug in the ground.   
Legolas let his arrow go as well, another one fell out of a window and into the ground. 

It was silent for a moment, but the elves heard the stomping of feet coming. They loaded their bows again,   
and everyone pulled out their weapons, for they trusted the elves judgement. And then they came, a score of   
Orcs, screaming and barreling towards the Company, coming out of the holes in the ground and from all   
sides. 

Gandalf ran at them, his sword drawn, and started fighting them off, making his way towards the tall black   
tower in the center of Isengard. The Company surged forth, beginning to follow Gandalf's lead. The only ones   
who remained behind were the elves, who were shooting at all the Orc archers hidden within the walls of   
Isengard. One by one they shot them down. Jairah shot her last one, and as it fell out of the wall, she pulled   
her sword and jumped in to the fight, watching as Gandalf disappeared into the tower. She barely had time to   
utter a prayer for him, as an Orc came and tried to swipe at her with his curved sword. 

Legolas kept shooting arrows at the ones in the mix, felling as many as he could. His bow was faster, better   
than Jairah's. It had been given to him in Lothlorien and had been strung with Jairah's hair, so it might serve   
him better. She'd left her quiver behind, dropping it from her back so he could have the arrows, as she'd run   
into the battle. He could see her blonde head, in between the ugliness of the Orcs, and hoped she'd heed his   
word. 

Leila, despite the fact that they were fighting, felt a thrill go through her heart. Everytime she killed one of the   
Orcs, she felt the thrill surge through her whole body. She looked over and saw Boromir decapitate one of   
the foul creatures, and she smiled. But her smile faded from her face as she felt a sharp CRUNCH on her   
shoulder, and she screamed in pain. One of the Orcs had jumped on her back and bitten her shoulder. She   
yelled and turned about wildly, throwing him off of her, and she leaned forward and stabbed him several   
times. 

"Leila!" Boromir yelled, as he'd seen it happen. He fought his way through the Orcs untill he got to her. "Are   
you alright?" he asked frantically. He touched the bite, it was not too deep, but vicious looking nonetheless. 

Leila nodded, though she winced in pain. "I will be alright." she smiled at him despite the pain. "Come! Lets   
kill these things!" 

And so the Company fought, their battle raged in Isengard, untill there were no more Orcs left to be slain.   
Boromir went over to Leila and picked her up and took her over the wall, and inspected the bite that she'd   
sustained. Aragorn located the hobbits, then looked over to Legolas, who was surveying the black land for   
Jairah, who nobody could seem to find. 

"Jairah!" he called, panic running through his heart. He'd told her to be careful, and now she was nowhere to   
be found. "meleth!, can heltha enni!" (love, call to me). He started running through the orc corpses nimbly,   
searching for her. he looked between the bodies, but there was no sign of her. 

then he heard her, in his mind. "thar si, legolas.." he looked to right, and there she was, sitting between two   
Orc corpses, that she'd obviously slain. He hurried to her, afraid she was hurt. She had her head between   
her knees, and was crying, tears running in rivulets through her blood-stained face. She was covered in the   
Orc blood, and as he reached her, he touched her head. "Are you hurt?" he asked urgently. 

she shook her head, and looked up at him. She'd cast her sword aside, and just was hugging herself on the   
ground. She'd had enough, whatever strength she'd had before, it had left her. He could feel her thoughts in   
her mind again, the inner battle, wondering if she was ever going to be able to be a lover again. 

Aragorn came up to them. "We must go!" he said. "Gandalf will come to us when he is through with   
Saruman. We cannot help him." he looked down at the crying elf, and compassion flooded his face. "Come,   
we must go!" he turned and pulled up the hobbits and started to run towards Fangorn. 

Legolas knelt next to Jairah. "Come, love. We must go!" She looked at him blankly, tears running down her   
face, and his heart strained him. He grasped her by her small shoulders and lifted her into his arms, and   
took off running after Boromir and Leila, who were following the hobbits and Aragorn. 


	28. Alasia

_Part 28_   
_(Author: Alasia)___

Leila stared at her reflection in the surface of the water. She sat beside a quiet pool far enough from the camp to be alone, but not too far. She was a mess. Her hair was stringy, dirty with grim, dirt and blood. Her green eyes seemed lifeless to her, as if she'd suffered terribly - and maybe in a way she had. She had been the cause of Jairah's breakdown after all. SHe had caused it. She'd been so selfish when it came to saving Boromir that she hadn't thought about the consequences. Sure, she had the love of her life by her side, but nothing else. She sighed, pulling her shirt - which had been cleamed an mended in Lothlorien, aside to look at the gruesome bit on her shoulder. It was swelling, and still oozed blood, and she was positive that if she didn't take care of it she would be infected by whatever germs an orc carried in its mouth. 

She looked around quickly before pulling offer her clothes and wading into the until she was neck deep in the water.She sighed in content then, happy to be able to get clean. Sure, the water was cold, but she had brough a dress similar to Jairah's with her so that she could was her clothes. She dunked herself underwater, furiously working at her hair to make it its natural coloure agian. She surfaced and began to furiously scrub at her skin until it was red from the lye in her little bar of soap. She placed the bar of rough brown soap on a nearby rock and dunked underwater again. She surfaced anf whiped water out of her eyes before opening them - She then let out a startled shriek and hid behind the moss covered rock, peeking over the top of it. 

Boromir was crimson red. She'd seen him walk into the clearing, obviously looking for her, but obviously not expecting to see her in her current state of undress. He cleared his throat and turned around, the back of his neck red, "Forgive me Leila, I did not know you were bathing."   
Leila stared at his back for a moment, shocked that he hadn't tried to get a good look at her - then she reminded herself that Boromir wasn't from her world, "It's all right Boromir, I didn't tell anyone. Were you looking for me?"   
Boromir coughed, "I was going to ask if you wished to go for a walk with me, but you are preoccupied and I will leave you now."   
"Boromir," she said softly as he began to leave. He turned to her, meeting her eyes and she finished her thought, "Give me about ten minutes to get dressed and I will go for a walk with you."   
He nodded slightly before leaving the clearing. Leila sighed and hauled herself out of the water, quickly wrapping her makeshift towel around herself and drying off, pulling on the clean dress and attempting to dry her hair. Finally she gave up and let it loose from the towel, noticing happily that though it was still damp and slightly stringy from not being brushed that it was clean. She gathered her things together and walked back to camp, placing her things in her tent before making her way to the fire where Boromir sat conversing with Merry and Pippin. 

She stopped next to him and began brushing her hair with her fingers. Merry greeted her happily while Pippin complained loudly to her that he was hungry and he didn't understand how the big-folk could stand to eat so few meals. Boromir smiled at her and stood, offering her his arm, which she gratefully took and they headed off on their walk. 


	29. Jennzah

Part 29   
_(Author: Jennzah)_

Legolas was worried. it wasn't a feeling he had often, and it wasnt a feeling that was familar to him, not at all. in fact, the last time he'd felt worried was when Jairah had been cut by the Orc blade, and she'd been dying, and when she'd disappeared. and now he felt it again, only ten times as worse. and once again, this worry pertained to Jairah. 

he looked over to where she sat, huddled next to one of the large Fangorn trees. She looked so small, so fragile. Her arms were wrapped around her knees that she'd drawn up to her chin, her hair spilling over them. She stared off into the forest, not focusing on one specific thing. She was lost. 

When they'd fled Isengard, he'd run with her in her arms, because in Isengard she'd broken down, she'd stopped. He couldn't explain it. he felt her inside, calling herself a killer, and struggling to find her way back to the light. she felt shrouded in darkness. and he did not know how to draw her out. 

Once they had reached Fangorn, he'd let her rest, they'd all rested. The forest was safe, and they were all so tired. Once nightfall fell again, and Gandalf had still not returned, they set about settling in, to wait for him. 

Legolas had taken Jairah into the woods a ways. She had not spoken since she'd called to him, to tell him where she was in the thick of Orc corpses, and this had troubled him. Indeed, she'd barely moved. She breathed, but that was about it. Her eyes were glazed, as if she were asleep but she was aware of what was going on around her, she allowed Legolas to lead her into the trees. Her eyes were cast down most of the time, she only fixed her gaze on him a few times. 

He had found a small waterfall, a beautiful thing really. He looked at her, still caked in Orc blood, in her hair, on her skin, on her face. He took her hands in his and looked at them, the blood was under her nails. She'd slain so many Isengard Orcs. He must get the blood off of her. 

So he'd lifted her up and she'd let him. she was as limp as a rag doll, and he was careful as he pulled her garments off of her, and shuddered as he saw the long thin scar on her abdomen. he let his fingers graze it, and then he took her in to the water and washed all the blood off of her, out of her hair, off of her skin, out from under her nails, untill she was sparkling and white again, just like she was at home, before times like this. she didnt move nor speak while he did all of this, though her eyes did meet his for a few seconds while he washed her face. it made him troubled to think that she was hidden, somewhere deep inside of herself, so far in that even he couldn't draw her out. he drew her hair, now wet, away from her face, and kissed her forehead. 

"Jairah," he whispered, but couldn't say anything else. he'd brought her out of the water and wrapped her in his cloak, and set her by a tree, and went about bathing himself, and then washing all the blood and dirt out of her clothes. she sat, motionless, staring off into the sky. he looked back at her, from the side of the water, and he sighed. he didnt know what to do. she was so far hidden that even when he tried to talk to her with his mind she couldn't hear him, it seemed. 

he looked at Jairah's dress as he brought it out of the water, she couldn't wear this dress anymore. it was badly stained and torn in many places. he didnt know if she'd brought any other clothes with her, and Leila's clothes would not fit Jairah, for Jairah was much smaller formed than Leila, for Leila was human, of course. so he went back to Jairah's side, where she still sat, huddled in his cloak. he drew the cloak off of her, buttoned his green waistcoat on her, wrapped the cloak back around her, and drew her into his arms again and went back to where the rest of the company had made a camp. 

He heard Pippin complaining loudly about the lack of meals for the "larger people" as he came up, and he had to smile. The small hobbit saw him approaching with his love in his arms and came up to him. "How is she? Has she spoken?" he asked. 

Legolas shook his head. "No," he said. He set Jairah down on her feet, which were bare. Pippin eyed them, looking at them funnily, for they were different than hobbit feet. Jairah's feet were not large and hairy, they were small, white, and smooth. 

"Her feet are so white!" he said, looking up her legs, which werent covered too well by Legolas' coat and cloak. Legolas noticed this, and quickly picked up Jairah, while the completely innocent hobbit spoke again. "anyway, we're just about to go have some supper, do you think she'll eat?" 

Legolas looked at Pippin. "Im not sure." he said, for he wasnt."but we will join you for certain. Give us just a moment." The hobbit nodded, and turned and went back towards the fire. 

They had moved the elves things to a small tent off to the right, and Legolas went to this tent and began to search through Jairah's small bag that she'd carried. Sure enough, stowed at the bottom of the bag, was an extra dress. however crumpled it had gotten from travel, it was still clean and in good condition. as he smoothed it out, he noticed it was a dress his father had given her, a pretty dark green trimmed in a green so light it looked silvery. his father loved Jairah, doted on her like a daughter. how sad he would be to know of her current state. right now he wished for his fathers guidance, for certain he would know how to help draw Jairah out of her own mind. 

he shook the thought away. it would do him no good wishing for things that could not be. he took the dress to Jairah, who sat outside in his cloak, staring at the sky again. he gently dressed her, and she let him, and then led her over to the fire where everyone sat. 

they all looked at her as they sat down. she looked at none of them, her eyes were cast downward at her still bare feet. her hair was tangled, and Legolas took his fingers and began to gently comb through it, from the crown of her head to the very ends at the bottom of her back, a little at a time. 

Aragorn finally broke the silence. 

"how is she?" he asked quietly, gently. 

Legolas looked at him, his fingers still combing through Jairah's hair as he spoke. "I do not know. She is hidden, deep inside herself, struggling to find her way out. I cannot even communicate with her mentally. when i push into her mind, i see black, and i hear her calling her self what in our language would be the word 'killer'. it was one of her fears, you see, that she was becoming a killer, and not who she was." 

"It's my fault," said Leila suddenly, from her place next to Boromir. "I did it." 

Legolas looked over at Leila, and shook his head. "How could it be your fault? This is an internal battle that Jairah is having with herself. You could not have caused it." 

Leila shook her own head furiously. "It IS my fault. I caused this. All of this. I nearly caused her to die, when she was cut by that Orc blade. That was my fault as much as it was the blade that cut her. And now this. She is fighting with herself because of me." Tears came into her eyes. 

There was a moments silence, before Gimli spoke up. 

"Please tell us how this is your doing, Lady Leila. I fail to see how it can be any of your doing." 

Everyone looked at Leila expectantly. She in turn looked at Boromir, for a long moment, and smiled. Then the smile faded and she looked at the group again. 

"It is my fault because Jairah promised to help me. None of you save Aragorn and Legolas know this," she said, looking around at the faces. "But Boromir was supposed to die that day, at Amon Hen, when Jairah was wounded. He was supposed to be killed by the Uruk-Hai. and I knew it. and I didn't want it to happen, because im in love with him. And i went to Jairah, and i told her this, amongst other things. And she told me that she would help me prevent his death, because she knew the throes of love." Leila looked at Legolas as she said this. "And of course, he is alive. but Jairah was wounded, and she nearly died. That was my fault. and she has been fighting now all this time. it is my fault." Leila looked at Jairah now, who was staring into the fire that was in the middle of the group, her eyes glassy. Legolas had finished with her hair and it now shone and had tumbled over one of her shoulders. he had one of his arms protectively around her shoulder as well. He, however, was looking at Leila and shaking his head. 

"No." he said. "Leila, please. You are not responsible for this. Jairah did promise you that she would help prevent Boromir's death. She fulfilled that promise. But it is not your doing that she has fought all this time, and now fallen into this state. Do not think that." 

"How can I not?" Leila said. "She has been so driven.." 

"She has been driven, yes." Legolas said, smiling gently at her. "But its not because of you, or because of Boromir. If any blame needs to be laid, it is at me. She is fighting for me. For our love, and for our life back home. She told me. She would fight to see it thrive, to see it stay alive. It fueled her, this, for a long time. It was why she came on this journey in the first place, Leila. Long before you fell into the dark waters of Moria into our lives. So take heart. It is not your fault." 

Leila had fallen silent next to Boromir. She remembered what Jairah had said back in Lothlorien, about having the strength, and having the mind to protect what she loved, and she felt sad. Jairah had fought for so long that her strength had run out on her, and her mind was threatening to as well. 

"Will she ever get better?" Pippin spoke up, munching on an apple. He'd given some lembas to Legolas to give to Jairah, but she had not touched them, she was still sitting, motionless, next to him, staring at the fire. He touched her head, and she had fallen into sleep. The darkness inside had quieted for now. 

"It is my hope, that when Gandalf returns, that he will be able to aid me with this. I do not know how to draw her out." Legolas told him. 

just then they heard a snap in the woods, which sounded like footsteps coming closer.... 


	30. Krissy

_(Author: Krissy)_

Everyone tensed as they heard the footfalls. Arogorn looked into the trees, trying to make whatever figure was in them. Quickly he drew his weapon standing up in the firelight, putting his hand toward the other telling them silently to stay there, but to be ready for anything. He got up and darted into the dark forest, quickly fading into the shadows of the trees. Borimor stood up, he body protecting the one he loved from whatever harm might come after them. It fell silent, there were no footfalls to be heard. Legolas looked at the others, his bow drawn and ready to go after Arogorn. 

Gandalf shook his head at the elf," No, he would not have gone if he did not think he could handle it." 

Sudennly he reappeared in the light holding a limp body in his arms. Tears were streaming from his face. He held the body close to him, his head bent down in the light. Pippin and Merry stood up, a shock look rose in thier eyes. They looked at each other in disbelief.   
"It can not be," Pippin said softly, looking at the boday in the man's arms. 

Gandalf take his hat off and bowed his head," The poor little one." 

Leila stood up and ran in front of her love and toward the lifeless body," Who is it?" 

Arogorn looked at her," She is my daughter." He bowed his head trying to keep the tears from his eyes. He kneeled down next to the fire and layed the body on the ground. Leila looked at the mangled body in the firelight, it was so hard to tell who it was, but then it was clear to her. "Oh god," she choked back tears as she nelt by the body. "No! Not her anyone but her."   
Legolas looked away from the body,"She died bravely she would not have had it any other way."   
Pippin and Merry clung to each in grief, tears streaming fomr thier eyes. Leila touched the girls face,"Why did it have to be my friend, my dearest friend. I can only hope you saw you love in your final hours."   
Arogorn laid the head of his daughter in his lap," My deareat one, my flower, how I will miss you, My little Gwen." 


	31. Jennzah

_(Author: Jennzah)_

And so all hearts were heavy. Aragorn sat, sadly, with the body of Gwen, and everyone drew back,   
to give him time alone with his daughter. Nobody outside of Gandalf had known that she had been   
his daughter, but they had all been fond of her. Frodo was going to be crushed. 

Legolas had lowered his bow, and lowered his head, and returned to Jairah's side, his heart now   
even more saddened. She had not moved in all the commotion, her eyes were still fixed steadily on   
the fire before her, she was still asleep. He sat back down next to her, and ran a hand through her   
hair, his fingers stroking her face gently as he did. 

"Jairah.." he whispered. "Where are you hiding in there?" he touched her forehead gently, and in her   
sleep she began to fall into him, her head falling into his lap, her hair tumbling into his hands. He   
stroked it gently and sighed. He couldn't bother Gandalf now, no matter how he wanted to. He   
looked down at her now, and noticed that her eyes had closed, which was not how elves normally   
slept, which he found strange. What was going on inside? 

*** 

Jairah had heard the door open, and footsteps in her hallway. It startled her, because there had   
been no-one here before. Jairah wanted no-one here. 

So now, as she pulled down the twin blades that belonged to Legolas, from their keeping places on   
the wall, the beautiful ones that his father had given him, the ones he'd left behind here, and   
silently crept towards magical doors of this castle, she heard the words echo in her mind "killer,   
hunter, killer.." and she struggled to push them away. Those words, beating in her brain, were what   
made her run here, to hide. 

Down the stairs, she made not a sound, as she saw the figure wandering. Jairah wished for her bow,   
but it had been left behind. She supposed she could throw the blades, but they belonged to   
Legolas, she would not part with them. She must sneak up behind the predator and attack. 

She stole into the hall, hiding in the dusky shadows streaking in from the sun. The figure stopped,   
Jairah stopped. The figure turned, and Jairah braced herself to spring forward, but then she focused   
her eyes clearly on the figure… 

"Gwen!" she said, lowering the blades to her sides, and coming forth from the shadows. "What are   
you doing here?" 

The girl looked at Jairah in wonder. "Jairah? Where am I?" She glanced at the blades in Jairah's   
hands. "What are you doing?" 

Jairah sighed. "This is my home in Mirkwood, this is King Thranduil's castle." She said. Gwen   
looked around in wonder, as she'd heard about Thranduil's castle, it was magickal. "I think the   
better question, here, Gwen, is : What are you doing here?" 

Gwen stared at Jairah blankly. "I don't know!" she said. "The last I knew I was stumbling through   
the woods, and then I was here, and I came in through the door…" 

"Gwen, you see, I have been the only one here. No-one else has been. I am inside myself, I am   
hiding here." 

"Why are you hiding?" Gwen asked. 

Jairah looked at her sadly. "Because," she said softly. "I do not like who I am outside of this place.   
Outside of here all I do is kill. Here I am safe." 

"But you are alone," Gwen said. "Legolas is not here, don't you miss him?" She looked at her   
expectantly. Jairah's eyes shone with tears. 

"yes." She said, and looked over to where a huge stone fireplace was, and above it, a large painting   
of the Elf-Prince was hanging over the mantelpiece. The tears slid down her face, as she turned   
back to Gwen. 

"Where were you going, when you came upon the castle?" she asked, changing the subject. The   
words were still thrumming in her ears, and she wanted to know why Gwen had come here. 

"I don't even remember." Gwen said. "I was hurt, I remember, wounded, trying to get to Frodo. I   
remember his eyes, and then I remember walking through a large expanse of woods, and then   
reaching this castle. How is it that I came upon this castle?" 

Jairah's eyes opened wide. "You have passed into shadow, Gwen." She said, stepping back from the   
girl slightly. She was not afraid, just stunned a little. 

Tears filled Gwen's eyes. "What?" 

Jairah nodded, sadly. "Your wound must have been fatal. The woods you speak of, that was you   
passing into the shadow realm. But I do not know why you have come here, to my mind. I have not   
passed into shadow." 

Gwen began to shake. "No!" she cried, pitching herself forward towards Jairah, and embracing her.   
The elf, startled, tried to console her. "I don't want to die, I don't want to leave Frodo…" 

"Shh.." Jairah soothed, but the girl was hysterical. It was hard for Jairah to embrace the girl because   
she still had Legolas' blades in her hands. She pushed Gwen away slightly, and looked at her. 

"Hush, Gwen." She said. "Hush now." 

Gwen hiccuped, and wiped her nose with the back of her hand. Jairah turned and bade her to follow   
her up the stairs, and she did so. She couldn't believe that she had died. 

They entered a large room at the end of a large corridor. The doors opened magickally when Jairah   
reached them, and uttered a small Elvish word. Jairah moved into the room and took the blades in   
her hands, and placed them on two brackets on the wall. Gwen watched her as she did this, and   
Jairah turned and saw the question on Gwen's face. 

"They are not mine," she said. "They belong to Legolas. He left them here when we left for Rivendell   
so long ago." 

"But where is your bow, your sword?" Gwen asked. "Don't you have them here?" 

Jairah shook her head. "Everything that I took with me I do not have here. It is with my body. I am   
just my mind here, my spirit. Just like you are just your spirit. Which is why I believe that we might   
be able to return you to your body." 

Gwen's eyes lit up. "Really?" she said. 

Jairah nodded. "We just have to get you back towards the light. You see, when you pass over into   
the shadow, your spirit loses its way, it gets lost. We just have to find your way back." 

"Well, then lets go!" Gwen said. "How do we do this?" 

Jairah smiled slightly, and bade Gwen to follow her again. They descended the stairs again, and   
Gwen noticed that when they went down the stairs, they were in a different room than before. There   
was now a large cathedral style doorway in front of them. Jairah muttered another word in her   
language, and the doors opened. 

"Now look out there," she said. "What do you see?" 

Gwen looked. At first she saw nothing, but darkness. But then she saw the moon rise, and the trees   
become illuminated, and then it was so bright that it was all she could see, the moon. 

"I see the moon," she said. "it is so bright and so full.." Gwen said, stunned by its beauty. 

Jairah nodded. "That is the light. If you walk towards it, you will be returned to your body. Do not   
look away from it, or else you will pass on into the shadowlands, and you will not return here. I will   
not be able to guide you back, once you leave my doorway." 

Gwen looked at Jairah. "Are you going to come with me?" she asked. 

Jairah looked into the light, then shook her head. "No." 

Gwen frowned. "Why?" 

Jairah looked at Gwen. "I cannot." 

Gwen didn't understand. "Why? I know you said you don't like who you are out there, but you are   
not a killer, Jairah." 

Jairah's eyes began to fill with tears again. "You must go, Gwen, if you are to go. Think of Frodo,   
while you walk towards the light, it will help to speed your way." 

Gwen desperately didn't understand why Jairah couldn't go with her. "Jairah, please. Come with me!   
Legolas, I'm sure he misses you, and he is pained. How can you do this to him? How can you not   
go?" 

Jairah turned away from Gwen painfully, stepping past the threshold and into the castle, away from   
the moonlight. Gwen looked at her, walking away. 

"Jairah!" she called, and Jairah turned around again to face her. 

"Namarie, Gwen." She said, and then the magick doors closed, blocking Jairah from sight. Gwen   
turned and faced the moonlight, and shook her head. She didn't understand. 

She began to walk towards the light, and then she heard Jairah's voice in her head. "Do not look   
away from the light, Gwen. Stare at it always…" and she did. She stepped closer and closer untill   
she was surrounded in the light and then she became the light, and then she opened her eyes, and   
realized she was lying in her fathers arms. And he was crying. 

"Father?" she asked, trying to move, but found her body was aching quite badly. 

Aragorn stopped crying for a second, as he heard his daughter speak. "Gwen!" he said, embracing   
her fiercely, for he couldn't believe her eyes were open and she was breathing. "You are alive!" 

Gwen tried to nod, but found her head was pounding. "yes," she said. Aragorn had lifted her up and   
was carrying her over to Gandalf, and the group. 

"She is alive!" he called. Everyone was startled awake, except for Jairah, who laid, motionless still,   
her head in Legolas' lap. Aragorn moved through them quickly, and Gwen's eyes caught sight of   
Jairah's body, and she felt saddened to know that Jairah wasn't there, and sadder to know that   
Legolas didn't know where Jairah hid. She must tell him where Jairah was, as soon as she calmed   
her father down. 


	32. Jennzah

_(Author: Jennzah)_

And after she had been inspected by Gandalf, and had been joyously received by the group, she   
went over to the elf, who sat quietly stroking Jairah's long blonde hair. He smiled at Gwen, as she   
stumbled over to him, as she was still in quite a lot of pain, though her wounds were on the mend. 

She smiled back. "How is she?" she asked, though she knew the answer. 

He looked down at Jairah again, and shook his head, taking a handful of her hair into his hand and   
gently draping it over her shoulder. "I do not know." He said, sadly. "She is asleep, now. But when   
she is awake, she does not respond. She does not eat, nor speak. I cannot find her, so far is she   
hidden." 

Gwen sat down next to him, and put a hand on his arm. "I know where she is hiding," she said. 

Legolas' head shot up, and he fixed his gaze hard on Gwen. "What?" he asked. "How do you know?" 

"I had passed over into shadow, and somehow I found my way to her. She is hiding in her mind, in   
a place she thinks is safe." 

Legolas' eyes searched Gwen. "You were there, in her mind? How did you get there? Where is she   
hiding?" 

"I do not know how I got there," Gwen said, truthfully. "It was a large castle, in the middle of a large   
wood. Jairah came out of nowhere, once I was inside of the castle. A castle with magick doors, and   
rooms that change." She searched his face, hoping that he'd follow what she was saying. 

He did. "My father's castle," he whispered. "Our home," He looked down at Jairah, who slumbered   
still, and he played with another lock of her hair. 

Gwen nodded. "She is there, alone." 

Legolas looked at Gwen sadly. "She spoke with you, then?" 

Gwen nodded again. "Yes. It was her who guided me back to myself, here." 

Legolas smiled sadly again, and pulled of of Jairah's hands up and kissed it." What did she say to   
you, Gwen? Did she say why she is hiding?" 

Gwen sighed. "She said she does not like who she is outside of where she is hiding. She says all   
she does is kill, outside of there, and that there, she is safe." 

Legolas shook his head. "What else?" he pressed. He seemed anxious, for anything that might help. 

"There is not much else," Gwen said. "She then helped me, to come back here, so that I would not   
pass over into shadow fully. She helped me find the light." 

Legolas looked at her, his eyes wide. "So Jairah knows where the light is?" he asked. 

Gwen nodded. "Yes, she took me to two large doors, which opened up, and the light came through   
them. She told me that I needed only to walk into it, and I would come back to myself. I asked her   
to come with me." 

"And what did she say?" Legolas asked. 

"She said she could not come." Gwen said sadly. "She went back into the castle and shut the doors.   
I do not understand. She is alone, there. And she said that she misses you. She had your blades in   
her hands. But yet, she says she cannot come out." 

"She knows where the light is, and yet she cannot come out," Legolas mused, looking down at   
Jairah again, whose eyes remained closed. Now he closed his own eyes, in pain. 

Gwen reached out and touched Legolas' arm again. "I am sorry, if I have upset you. I just thought   
you should know what I saw." 

He opened his eyes. "No, Gwen. I thank you for telling me. Its just, I do not know how to reach her.   
She has hidden herself well. And now that I know where she is hiding, I just do not know how to   
get within her to convince her to come out." 

And then they were silent, with sadness. Legolas' heart was the heaviest it had ever been on this   
journey. He wanted her back, for this was almost worse than having her die. 

** 

Gandalf had heard the entire conversation, sitting over on the far side of the fire, next to Merry and   
Pippin. And so now he closed his eyes, and focused his thought on Jairah's mind, which he could   
see, as her body lay across from him, her head nestled against her lover. It would not do for Jairah   
to be hidden away in her mind, for she was needed out here, with the company. Gandalf's heart told   
him this. There were times ahead that Jairah was needed for, both good and bad. 

When he had reached the outer doors of Thranduil's castle, he knew he'd reached her mind. He   
moved slowly, with caution, as not to alarm her. He'd heard Gwen say that Jairah had Legolas'   
blades here, probably using them as protection against outsiders. It made sense that she would   
hold on to something that belonged to him to protect her. And though he doubted that Jairah   
would harm him, he still proceeded with caution. 

Jairah heard her hallway doors open again, and once again removed the blades from their keeping   
places and moved towards the stairs. She saw the light coming from down the stair, and was not as   
wary as before. She wondered if any of her other friends had passed over into shadow. She hoped   
not, she did not want any of them here. 

She moved towards the footsteps quickly, and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw who they   
belonged to. 

"Gandalf!" she said, the blades in her hands clattering to the floor. "What are you doing here? You   
have not passed into shadow again, have you?" 

The wizard smiled at her, and shook his head. "That was a noble thing you did, Jairah, guiding   
Gwen back towards the light." 

"Then she did make it back," Jairah smiled. "I had been wondering." She looked at Gandalf, then   
bent down and picked up the blades that she had dropped. "So why have you come, Gandalf. How   
have you gotten here? Have you also been led astray?" 

Gandalf shook his head. "No, Jairah." He said, following her as she went back towards the room   
from where she had come, and watched as the doors opened for her as she approached. She   
entered the room, replaced the blades again to the wall, and turned to him. He was looking her up   
and down, closely. 

"Gandalf?" she asked, wondering why he was looking at her like that. She looked down at herself,   
and saw nothing out of the ordinary. 

Gandalf saw different. Jairah was not dressed how she was with her body. Here she was dressed in   
black, a long, black velvet pinafore dress, with a midnight blue silk bodice underneath. Her hair   
was let loose, flowing over her shoulders and down her back, except where it was braided in two   
small braids in the very front, which were tucked behind her ears. But was most noticeable, was the   
necklace she bore, which she almost always wore against her skin. But here it was let out on its   
long chain, and hanging against her small chest, against the velvet of her dress. And the silver of   
the chain and the pendant was almost glaring. 

The pendant was quite beautiful, just a simple bit of silver, the Elvish character for eternity. It had   
been a present from Legolas, quite some time ago. Gandalf had seen it only once before, when he   
had healed Jairah from the Orc wound. She almost never wore it out, it was almost always   
underneath her garments, against her skin. It was something that she said she didn't want to share   
with anyone, when she was asked about it. 

She was dressed as if she was in mourning, or if she was to be laid out for her funeral, which   
troubled Gandalf. He was afraid that she perhaps had no intention of ever leaving her mind. 

"Jairah," he said now, looking into her eyes, which were searching him. "Why are you hiding here,   
child?" 

She turned away from him, and went to the window, which opened for her when she touched it.   
"Because, Gandalf. I am safe here." She stared out the window at the dark. 

"You are safe out there, Jairah. Do you know how pained Legolas is, out there, with your body? He   
worries for you. Your body, it does not respond to him. It does not eat. It barely breathes. And all   
this at a time where you are needed out there, very dearly." 

Jairah looked at Gandalf sharply. "Why am I needed, Gandalf? To slay more Orcs? I have slain more   
Orcs and other beasts than I care to remember on this quest. All I do out there is kill. I do not wish   
to kill anymore, whether it be enemies or not. Everytime I do, I lose who I am. I lose who I was   
before any of this happened. I hear that voice in my head telling me that I am a killer, killer, KILLER,   
Gandalf. " 

Gandalf shook his head. "That is not you, Jairah. You should know the difference between a warrior   
and a killer. You are a warrior, not a killer. You have helped on this quest more than you know, and   
your skill with a bow and arrow, and your sword have saved the lives of many. Boromir, for   
instance. You helped Leila keep him alive." 

Jairah didn't say anything, just looked out the window again, and sighed. 

"You are needed, Jairah. You are needed by those who love you. You cannot remain hidden here." 

"Yes, I can." Jairah said. "I can stay here forever." She got up from the window, and moved past him,   
and out of the room, towards the staircase again. But Gandalf was too quick for her, and appeared   
on the stairway in front of her. 

"And what of the Elf-Prince?" Gandalf said, barring her way, for he knew she was headed to hallway,   
to try to push him out of her mind. "Will you let him suffer still, without you?" 

Jairah's eyes filled with tears, but she said nothing. 

"One day, you two are to take the throne of Mirkwood, if such times are to come to pass, Jairah. He   
cannot do it with you hidden here. I have told you he is pained. He is, in all respects, your husband,   
and yet, you still hide here, away from him. If you cannot come out of here for any other reason,   
come out for him. You went on this quest for him. Come out for him." 

The tears slipped down Jairah's face, but she still could not form words. Gandalf's eyes strayed to   
her necklace. 

"Did he not give you that necklace, long ago? What does it say, tell me?" 

Jairah began to sob. "Eternity…" she whispered, and took the pendant and its long chain and   
pushed it under the neck of her dress, out of sight. " But I cannot leave here, Gandalf. Not even for   
him." 

And then she turned on her heel, and ran out of sight. 

Gandalf sighed, and turned and walked towards the large doors that would release him from   
Jairah's mind. He knew the only thing to do would be to send Legolas in after her. 


	33. Krissy

_(Author: Krissy)_

She looked at the fire, her eyes looked on the dancing flames. Her body shook from the cold loneliness of her heart. She pulled the thin cloak closer to her body. Nothing could comfort her pained soul. Tears collected in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She twisted the ring on her finger. She did it so hard that it was begining to rub the skin raw. 

"Frodo," she mummbled softly. Tears finaly began to fall," My love, my life. Why can't we just be together, why?" 

She closed her eyes and wepted. She brought her bandaged hands to her face and cried even harder. Her whole body rocked with her tears. It was not fair. What was keeping them apart? Why did it seem the very earth itself was keeping them apart? What crime had they commited that cursed them to be apart? Now, now what could he think? He had laid her damaged body on her horse and sent it in the direction she had come. Did he think she was dead? She pulled at her hair, trying to take away the pain in her heart, it ached so, so very much. 

She wondered where he was. She wondered if her was ok. She wondered if he loved her still. Without Frodo life had no meaning to her. She would fall upon her sword if she thought that her life would be without him. 

Merry looked at Pippin," This is very bad." 

"Yeah, I know."   


Frodo cursed the burden around his neck. Tears filled his eyes as he lay close to the fire. Sam had found him just as Gwen had vanished out of sight. They tried to get information about her out of him, but he woudl not talk. He simply could not talk about her, not without getting the swelling feeling in his throat. He pulled his blanket closer to him, missing the warmth of Gwen. She used to be such a constant warmth. He missed the nights where they would lay together. The warmth of her breath, the soft beating of her heart, the low sound of her breathing, he took these all for granted then. HE would never take such simple things for granted again. 

Questions burned in his mind. He prayed she was okay. Gwen was all he ever had. She had been with him since he could remeber. He could remeber the day the were married, the secret day..... 

Her long hair was left to be curly, the golden curls framing her face. The long white linen garment blew in the wind, making her look like an angel to him. Frodo held her hand, as they spoke soft vows to each other. Rivendale was quite and beautiful that day. It was as if nature had made that day just for them. The exchanged vows on the balcony of his room. They had deemed time to fleeting to live without each other. They made love that night for the first time. It was the most perfect day. As Gwen slept he took in every second of time he was with her. He memorized every aspect of that moment, form the way her hair fell across her face to the way she fit into his arms. 

Tears overfollowed for Frodo's eyes. He would give anything to have her back with him again. He would do anything, he would give up anything. Life was not worth breathing with out her. He fell into sleep, aching to be with her. 

Arogorn covered his daughter up and gave her a soft kiss ont he cheek. He paryed silently for his daughter to have good dreams. 

Gwen could feel her dream. She again in Rivendale. Frodo stood next to her on their balcony. Frodo was next to her. IT was so real, so very real to her. 

Frodo coudl hardly believe it, she was standign there next to him. he wraped his arm around her and pulled her close to him. HE coudl feel her heart start beating faster. 

"My Gwen, you are alive! You are ok!" He coverd her face in kisses. 

"Yes, Frodo. I am ok," she repsonded wrapping her arms around him. She felt no need to tell him that she had passed into shadow, that was for later, when they were together in body and spirt, when the quest was over with. 

"I love you. I can not risk not having you know that," he said looking into her eyes. 

"And I love you," she spoke smiling at him. 

He kissed her again, bringing her closer to him. They made their way into the room and onto the bed. Being together was enough for them right now. Wether they were together in spirt not in body, they cared not for being together in any way was simply enough for them. They had a dream to carry in thier hearts when they awoke into the cruel world again, which happened all to soon. 


	34. Jennzah

_(Author: Jennzah)___

"I have seen Jairah and spoken to her," Gandalf said silently to Legolas. As soon as he had heard his thought, Legolas's head looked up and turned to his right, glancing across the campsite to where Gandalf was sitting, eyes closed and deep in thought. 

"What does she say?" Legolas thought as he stroked her hair. 

"The same she spoke to Gwen. She will not leave. Only you can save her now." 

"I am too grieved to enter her mind now. I may never return and the both of us may be lost in shadow forever," Legolas thought and sighed to himself. 

"And if you do not enter her mind and bring her back, you will die of grief. You have seen it happen, Legolas Greenleaf. And if you are to die, Jairah will follow soon after. Not only will the Fellowship be wounded and the quest be set back, but in the future, the throne of Mirkwood will be empty." 

Legolas looked back up at Gandalf who had now come out of his deep mediation and was watching Legolas. He nodded slightly and Legolas nodded in return. He slowly closed his eyes and dove into his memories to find his home of Mirkwood, to find Jairah inside. 

Instead of having to walk through the woods like Gandalf and Gwen, Legolas found himself inside his father's castle, holding one of the swords from the wall. Footsteps that were barely audible came from another room and Jairah entered holding one sword. She gripped the sword tightly when she saw Legolas and the other sword in his hand. 

"Not even in my mind can I be left alone," she said quietly and sighed. 

"Gandalf says that I am the only one who can help you now, and but I wonder if he is right. You are the only one who can open those doors and walk into the moonlight back to the land of the living," he said. 

"I am not sure if I want to return. In this world, I am the Jairah you pledged yourself too, not the murderer I have become in the world of the living," she replied and walked out of the room, Legolas quickly following her. Something was out of place when he entered the bedroom they shared. He tried to place it and finally saw what it was. "Legolas? What's the matter?" she asked. 

He walked over to the dresser with the mirror where Jairah's little jewelry was kept and saw a round glass ball sitting on top of it. It was black and still, and Legolas fell uneasy staring at it. "Jairah, what is this?" he asked and pointed to it. His heart became heavy and he dared not touch it for fear of what could be inside. 

"I don't know. It... it feels like it has always been there. Not always but only recently," she replied. 

"Have you looked into it?" he asked. 

"No... but... I have felt it calling me. Whispering things. I dare not go near it... Legolas, what's wrong?" she asked. He had closed his eyes and suddenly once again Gandalf appeared in the room. 

"Invite the entire company into our bedroom, Legolas Greenleaf, it's not as if it's private or anything," she said sarcastically and Gandalf looked at her cautiously. Without a word he looked at the surface of the glass ball which had began to churn. In his mind he saw a vision of the eye of Sauron, calling out "killer killer" in the tongue of the Silver Elves. 

"I wield the flame of Anor and I say to your Sauron, leave this place, for it is uncorruptible by you or your servants!" Gandalf yelled out as he held his white staff about the orb. The glass ball suddenly turned itself a bright shade of fiery red and illuminated the room, then turned into dust and was quickly blown away by an unseen breeze. Legolas had witnessed it all with wide eyes and then turned to Jairah, who had fainted dead away on the bed in the room. 

"Jairah," he said softly and became even more grieved than when he had been outside. She opened her eyes and their old flame and vigor had been revived in them. 

"What good fortune that it was destroyed in time before she was driven into shadow, his whispers corrupting her mind from within," Gandalf said. 

"How did it get there?" Legolas asked and Gandalf simply shrugged. 

"The heart has reason which reason does not know. In other words... I haven't the slightest idea. But I think it was from the Orc wound. Evil seeped into her body and soul, but I think she is fully cured now. Come. Much time has passed here, we must all go back into the light. Come along," he said and walked out of the room to the doors of the castle. Legolas helped Jairah up and before she took another step she embraced him tightly and kissed his cheek. 

"Jairah, you have returned to me," he said silently in his mind and she looked into his eyes and nodded without saying a word, audibly or mentally. 

* * * * * 

"Gandalf, Gandalf, Legolas has fallen into shadow as well!" Pippin said after he had tapped Legolas's shoulder and gotten no response. Gandalf had returned and shook his head at the young hobbit. 

"They are returning, don't fret my boy, they will return. Jairah is well again," he replied. At that moment Jairah stirred for the first time in hours and stroked Legolas's cheek. Gandalf looked past Legolas's shoulder and met eyes with Jairah then silently said to her mind, "Welcome home, Rose above all other." She smiled and looked back to Legolas who was smiling in a way that the Fellowship had not seen him smile for days. 

"Will anyone else fall into shadow now?" Pippin asked quite seriously, only to receive laughter from everyone, causing him to pout and sit next to Merry while they discussed the shadow world as they had heard it to be from Gwen. 

* * * * * 

Night fell and Jairah and Legolas walked by the waterfall where hours before Legolas had laid her lifeless body to rest. "Love... did you really believe what the whispers were telling you?" he asked after a while. 

"Yes, for a while I did. At first I did not listen to them, because I knew what I was doing was in defense of the Fellowship, of Frodo. But it seemed that with every arrow I shot out of my quiver, every slash of my sword, the whispering turned into yelling, echoing into my very heart which believed it," she said and wiped a tear that had rolled down her cheek. 

"Is that why you gave me your arrows at Isengard and at Amon Hen?" he asked. 

"Yes... the yelling was too much for me... but now that I think of it, it should have been quite obvious to you that I was ill. After all, no one in all of Mirkwood is a better archer than I, to say you have a better shot and should have my arrows, well, it's simply not right," she said slyly and winked, and he grinned and rolled his eyes, putting his arm around her.   
  
Then she looked at him, her face solemn. "It is a long time yet, till we can go home, to the peace we once knew, Legolas. I fear that it we might never see Mirkwood again."   
  
He leaned in and kissed her forehead. "Do not think of such things now. As long as we are together, that is peace enough for me." 

They sat, quietly, by the waterfall, for the rest of the night. 

* * * * * 

By the fire in the clearing of the campsite, Leila reclined against Boromir who was sleeping silently. She wondered if it was worth it. She wondered where the elves were and just at the thought of them almost began to cry. She remembered the accusing look Legolas had shot at her and the feeling she had in her heart when he glanced at her. It was she who had caused Jairah to become wounded, for that poison, that evil to enter her pure soul and corrupt her, almost causing her to die. If it wasn't for Gandalf saving her those two times... 

Aragorn was playing with the charm on the silver chain from Arwen and as he looked across the fire he saw Leila's troubled stare into nothingness, much like Jairah's eyes earlier that afternoon. "Child, is there something wrong with you?" he asked quietly. She shook her head, but after a moment she got out from Boromir's sleepy embrace and sat next to Aragorn. 

"Aragorn... do you see the passion between the elves? Especially now that Jairah lives?" she asked. 

"Indeed I do. It makes my heart ache for my own beloved, you mentioned her in Moria, Arwen Evenstar," he said and sighed, glancing down at the charm he held. 

"Aragorn, I feel I cannot live with myself, I almost caused that love to die in both of them, because of my stupid meddling. Boromir should have died. The course of history is now changed because of my foolishness. Because I was so selfish and I did not see that his death would change things. Now everything is in jeapordy," she said quietly. 

"Young one... little one, you know not what you say," he said and she shook her head and wiped her sleeve across her eyes. 

"Everything is different Aragorn. I am not supposed to be here talking to you. Boromir is not supposed to be here, happily in love, and oh god, what have I done to everything?" she cried out. 

"You are in this with us, child. You know as much as we do now. I will admit, your meddling has probably made things difficult now and the Fellowship has more challenging things to accomplish. But look at it this way; in the future, people will read of this tale and admire Lady Leila, the prophet," he said and she looked at him with an annoyed expression to which he added in jest, "the meddler." 

"Have I ruined things terribly, Aragorn?" she asked. 

"I do not know. I have not cheated fate and read of my journeys in a book, m'lady," he said and she laughed for the first time all day. He was always so serious when she read about him, he did not know that he could be charming, funny almost. "I am not sure if you have ruined things but certainly changed them. Try not to think of it in terms of ruining, only changing. Get through this quest and you will never worry about anything else in your entire life as much as you have worried in this quest." 

"You will make a splendid king, I just know it," she said and smiled. 

She walked back to Boromir as Aragorn laughed at what she said then perked up with a shocked expression. "I'm going to be king?" he asked. 

"Now I'm not going to ruin the end for you, son of Arathorn," she said slyly and winked, then leaned against Boromir's sleeping body, his arm returning to her back where it had been before. Aragorn now thought about this new riddle she had given him. As she felt sleep overcome her, she smiled slightly at Aragorn and closed her eyes, fading into a deep slumber. 


	35. Alasia

_(Author: Alasia)_

Leila awoke early the next morning with troubled thoughts. She carefully manuvered herself out of Boromir's embrace and tiptoed away from camp. She climbed a hill that overlooked much of Rohan and sat down on a large rock, pulling her knees to her chin and wrapping her arms around them. The sun was coming up in the east, casting hues of pink and yellow across the sky, clouds tinting purple in the light. Leila blinked and allowed herself to watch the slight wind lull her into a state of half-awareness as she watched the sun rise slowly on the horizon. She hoped that everything would be all right from here on out, but she knew it wouldn't be, especially if the story continued on remotely like the books had. She supposed that even if she did she wouldn't really be expecting it, but it did not comfort her at all. She was sad, and yet she was filled with sorrow, not really knowing why. 

She closed her eyes and tried to sort through her muddled thoughts. There was the situation of the quest, Boromir and Jairah. She knew that she had most likely lost the elf's friendship because of her selfishness, and Boromir was living, and he was trying, but he really didn't understand. The quest was really standing on the edge of a knife, and Leila had tipped it ever so slightly. 

"Leila?" 

She looked up into the amber eyes of Jairah, "Jairah..." 

Jairah sat down next to her and gazed over at the sunrise, "You blame yourself for everything that has happened?" 

"Yes." Leila said, "How can I not? I got you hurt, nearly killed. I ruined the quest, I was selfish..." 

"Yes, you were many of those things," Jairah said softly, "But that is not your fault. Destiny plays a part in all of our lives Leila. You were not thrown into the quest on accident, you were meant to be here. You have some role yet to play in the battle of good versus evil, and though you have hurt, and confused a lot of people, all of what you have done has been for a cause. Love makes people do really stupid things, but it's all worth it in the end." 

"You're not mad at me?" Leial asked, "After what I did?" 

"No. I can't be. Through you I have gained a good friend, one who may have put me in danger, but only did so because I went along with it. I could have refused to help you save Boromir's life, but I did not." 

"But everything that happened - " 

"No." Jairah raised a hand to silence the human woman, "No. The Valar chooses those who are capable of finishing what they begin. Someone else could have very well been chosen for the quest, but you were, not someone else. You are needed, by Boromir, by Merry, by Pippin, by all of us in some way." 

"I don't understand?" 

"No, you don't. None of us truly understand anything." 

"I'm sorry Jairah, for everything that's happened." 

"I know you are." Jairah said, "But let us speak of other matters. Gandalf has decided to send you and Boromir ahead of him to Minas Tirith." 

Leila's eyes widened, "Uh... Oh, nonononon..." 

"What is it?" 

"I don't want to be there." 

"There is more that you know?" 

"I don't want to meet Boromir's father! That's guy is nuts!" 

"Leila what are you talking about!" 

Leila stared at her, eyes wide, "I - I shouldn't tell you! Not after everything that's happened!" 

Jairah stared, "Does it have to do with me or Legolas?" 

"No." Leila replied, "It has nothing to do with the fellowship really, but a lot ot do with Boromir's father." 

"What? What is it that would make you say that the Lord Denethor is carzy?" 

"He's gonna commit suicide." Leila's eyes went wide and she clamped a hand over her mouth with a whimper. 

Jairah raised an eyebrow, "Leila? If it makes you feel better I won't tell anyone." 

Leila nodded vigourously and bounded down the hill as her own way of getting out of the conversation. 

~ * ~ 

"Uhm... Do I get my own horse?" 

"Yes Leila." Gandalf stared hard at Leila before handing her a leather bag, "Here, change into these clothes. They will make you less noticeable." 

"Okay." 

Leila dissapeared for a moment before reappearing dressed in soft doeskin. She wore light brown breeches and boots, a white undertunic anda brown vest. She shifted slightly, "I feel like a freaky version of She-ra." 

"Who?" 

She looked over at Merry, "Nevermind." 

"I think you look fine Leila." Boromir said as he appeared leading his dar bay and a palomino mare. 

Leila giggled, "That could be taken a couple different ways. But I think I'll stick with the one you mean." 

"uh huh. All right, off the two of you go." Gandalf spoke. 

Leila turned and hugged Merry and Pippin. She turned and recieved a slight embrace from Aragorn before she hugged Jairah tightly. She clasped Legolas' hand in a friendly shake and hugged Gandalf like she would her father, which startled the Maiar. She walked over to the Palomino and Boromir spoke, "Do you know how to ride Leila?" 

She gave him a look, "Hun, I was born in Scotland, of course I can ride." 

To emphasise her point the mounted the mare with ease. Boromir chuckled and mounted his stallion before leading them away from camp and toward Gondor. 

~ * ~ 

Leila sighed to herself and shifted her wieght in the saddle as she rode along behind Boromir. They had been riding for two days now, and spent two nights on the road as well. She was hoping it would all be over soon. She allowed the mare (whom she had decided to name Glory) to trot up a gentle slope and come to a stop next to Boromir. Her breath caught in her throat as the early morning light glistened off the white tower of Ecthalion and the rooftops of Minas Tirith. Plennor Fields lay below them, spread for somedistance that they could see. Leila looked over at Boromir, whose face was lit with a smile as he gazed down upon his home. She smiled softly and met his eyes, nodding and nudging Glory into a canter. Boromir followed, his stallion's linger legs causeing him to take the lead again. They rode down the slope out onto the fields and they raced toward the city among the tall green grass and spring flowers. Trumpets blared like silver in the distance as the guard spotted them riding toward the gate. Boromir urged his mount into a gallop and Leila followed, racing along next to him with a smile on her features, his happiness contagious. A call was taken up along the walls, the steward's son was home. The gates opened and Boromir slowed his horse, Leila following his lead as the cantered through the tall gates and into the courtyard below. The horses came to a stop and two stable hands rushed forward to take them as the pair dismounted. Boromir met with Beregond in the center of the courtyard, clasping forearms with his friend (AN: If you don't know who Beregond is, I suggest you read the third book.). Leila smiled and Boromir turned, indicating her foreward. 

"Beregond, this is the Lady Leila of Scotland. Leila, my good friend Beregond." 

Leila smiled at Beregond, and shook his hand when he reached for her's to kiss it, "Nice to meet you." 

Beregond looked confused, but Boromir explained, "The customs of her people are slightly different from ours." 

"Ah. Well, may i suggest heading up to the palace? Your father will want to see you." 

"Of course." Boromir replied, "Shall we M'Lady?" 

Leila laughed and took Boromir's arm, "We shall." 


	36. Krissy

_(Author: Krissy)_

Gwen looked at the fire, visions forming in her head. Shadows and mists swirled in her memory. Her memories clouded her mind, despare settled in her soul. Frodo was gone and she knew not if she would ever see him again. She did not know if she would make it out of the quest alive. Forboding settled in her heart. She touched her stomach gently, tears flooding over her eyes. The child of her womb, she knew, she knew beyond doubt, the child was going after its father. 

**** 

Frodo sat silently at the edge of the circle, nothing could coax him to speak. Not even Sam could get him to talk of what had happened to Gwen or where the two had been. His heart was heavy and beat silently, protesting the loss of its other half. None of the compains there could have sensed the approch of the shadow, nothing could have stop it from coming. As silently as it came, silently it went away, carrying the ring bearer with it. Its dark hand placed over the mouth, which had no strenght to scream anyways. The ordor that came from it lulled him into a deep sleep. 

**** 

Gwens head jerked up from looking at the fire. She knew, it had him. Her hand fell to side catching the sword. There was only on way to do this, one way to save him. Gandalf stepped into the light, his eyes looked from her to the sword in her hand. He nodded to her. 

"Please, keep they away, atleast untill the deed is done," she asked, her voice and hands trembling as she lifted the sword. 

"I will. I am sorry, Gwen, but after this is done you it cannot be reveresed," he spoke, somenly. 

"What passed into shadow once cannot return twice," her voice echoed softly. "Take care of him please." Tears began to fall softly, cascading down her face, 

"I will," he replied, stepping away from the light. 

Gwen looked up at the fire,"My love, I will see you again, someday." 

She brought the sword up above her chest, it hovered there a few seconds before plunging into her chest. She closed her eyes, and whimpered softly, tears still falling as she sank to the ground. "Frodo," she wishpered, before taking her last breath. 

Many miles away they shadow fell, dropping Frodo to the ground. 


	37. AUTHOR'S NOTE

**Alasia Writes:**

Right then, let's see. Currently, this story has been postponed while Krissy and I revise it. Then, since the   
rest of the group no longer seens to be interested in finishing this fic. I will finish it. And, hopefully, with Krissy's   
help, this will happen sooner than we're hoping it will. 

Thanks to everyone who reviewed!! 

We will finish this fic! 

-- A.M. -- 


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